HylianRose

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ
ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ

Time: Evening
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Lucian's Outfit
Interactions: @princess Marina, @remram Nolan
Mentions: @princess Charlotte, @tae Mina, @Oso Ambrose, @Lava Alckon Drake, @samreaper Kazumin, @CitrusArms Stratya

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“Of course, my Prince.” Ambrose replied with a similar tone.

Lucian nodded solemnly as Ambrose replied to him. He couldn't imagine Ambrose's position, serving the very man responsible for his sister's death. Keeping him and his siblings safe from danger when Lucian himself hadn't been able to save Ambrose's sister. He could understand his hatred, empathize with it in some way.

"The question-pelting addiction is a work in process." Marina had informed him promptly, her expression smug.

Lucian rolled his eyes at her reply, knowing full well she wasn't really working on it at all. More often than not, she would speak whatever thought first crossed her mind. It was something he found both refreshing and concerning. One could see why he might worry about her.

“I’ll just love you double then,” she whispered, her voice low enough for him alone, “to make up for Ambrose.”

Lucian said nothing at this. He didn't think Marina would take his actual thoughts very well. As much as her love was appreciated, he wasn't sure it would be enough to make up for his own self-loathing. How could he accept her love for him when he didn't really even know how to forgive and love himself? How could he do that when there was a part of him that didn't want Ambrose to forgive, that didn't want to let that wound heal, to forget her? He didn't see how it could help but he didn't want to let her know that.

He squeezed his sister back in return, holding onto her.

“But under all that pain…” she added more quietly, “you know he still loves you, don’t you?”

He had meant to hold onto her longer, to keep her from seeing his expression but she had pulled away sooner than he'd had time to react. He wasn't sure he wanted Ambrose love him, he wasn't sure he deserved to be loved by that man. The realization of that hit Lucian like a sack of bricks and his expression soured like month old fruits.

“...You talk to anyone of interest yet, Lucian?”

Lucian didn't speak for a moment, his eyes practically glazing over the sea of people. He watched with disinterest as a blonde man entered and began to perform. If he weren't so upset right now, he might have truly enjoyed it. It was refreshing and heartwarming in a strange way. Reminded him of simpler times.

He turned back as the performance ended and caught a glance of Mina as she bumped into Ambrose. His expression immediately shifted. First relief, the sight of her alone bringing him comfort. He first noticed how striking she looked in that dress and had half a mind to offer her a cover for it, but he knew better. Then, his gaze settled on the golden embroidery along the edge of the body of the dress. The roses that settled there like they were always meant to be there. A smile grew on his lips at the thought. The Rose of Varian. Exactly as she was meant to be.

"Ambrose," she breathed."I... I apologize," she said, "I wasn't looking where I was going. This crowd is... overwhelming."

He didn't think too much of her words, other than the expression that seemed to follow. She took a step back, his expression shifting to one he had come to know as a mask, one he'd slipped on all too often. But he couldn't fathom why she'd have that reaction to Ambrose. Yes, he was a wall of a man and as stiff as one too, but he didn't warrant that kind of reaction, right?

“Lady Blackwood…” He muttered, voice losing the knightly confidence that was usually on display. “I…” Ambrose began but stopped.

Lucian's expression turned to one of confusion. He never saw Ambrose falter like that. Well, maybe once or twice when they were younger and Ambrose was talking to one of the girls he liked-

Lucian froze, watching the two of them now. His gaze shifted from Mina to Ambrose and then back again and he wasn't sure he could put words to how he felt.

His gaze strayed as he tried to be literally anywhere else right now, Marina's question completely forgotten, as Charlotte entered and she was not at all how he remembered. His eyes went wide for a fraction of a second as he tried to collect himself. It was like seeing Sophia's face on someone else's body. Maybe if Sophia had been more like that... No... That wouldn't have done anything...

Lucian shook his head slightly and shifted his gaze back towards his sister, anywhere other than other pair near him, just in time to see another pair emerge beside her. This was becoming far too many people surrounding him...

He watched with mild interest as the younger boy introduced himself as Nolan Edwards. Ahhh, yes. He'd heard rumors. His gaze shifted for a moment back to Lady Charlotte, watching her walk up to another man and touch his chin. He turned back quickly, his eyes wide.

Why did that make him jealous? What the fuck were his feelings at all? Here he was both heartbroken over Mina and wanting Ambrose to finally have something good and then feeling heartbroken all over again to feeling jealousy towards a woman who was not his merely because she looked like his dead wife. He needed a drink. A strong one.

"It's great to see you again, Princess Camilla. You look..." He trailed off.

Lucian's gaze pivoted to the Edwards' boy, a sudden keen interest in him. This... This could prove to be a good distraction.

"You look lovely tonight," was all he could say. His lips curled up into a warm smile that met his bright green eyes. "Very lovely."

His eyes narrowed for a moment, as Nolan continued.

"I, uh, I hope this night has found everyone well so far. Have you all been able to enjoy your stay in Caesonia?" asked the young lord in hopes of shifting the topic.

"No, but I think I know someone else who has." He leaned over to whisper to his sister quickly.

"It's been excellent so far, Lord... Nolan, was it?" Lucian replied, an amused smirk on his face despite himself. At least, in this, he could forget his own messy feelings for a moment.

He turned as he waited for Nolan to reply, watching as a woman walked over to Ambrose and Mina.

“Ambrrose,” a gentle, coaxing call for his attention. “Would you dance with me?”

His eyes narrowed again for a moment, suddenly much more interested in Ambrose's reply than Nolan's.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Dress
Interactions: @Chrys Amira, @princess Count Emil, @Potter Elena
Mentions: None

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She smiled as the girl introduced herself. There was a small part of her that saw herself in this young woman and felt the urge to protect her in ways she hadn't been able to protect herself. So, when Count Emil arrived into their small little bubble, she felt herself stiffen and bristle. It did not take Nora very long to catch a terrible feeling about him. Especially when he seemed to make light of what had happened earlier that morning.

Nora hadn't gone to the events that morning, wasn't sure she could have taken seeing it like that. Even knowing the Queen was gone was enough of a burden on her psyche, she wasn't sure what seeing it would have done to her. Undoubtedly, she would have super-imposed herself or either of her siblings over the Queen and the idea of that was far more than she could handle. Regardless, she didn't see this event as very mournful. She would rather pretend the morning hadn't happened and mourn in her own time, privately. Tonight was for parading around, pretending everything was fine.

However, nothing could have prepared her for Amira's reply. Had she not heard? What rock had she been living under? Surely the news had spread even through the Alidasht royalty. Surely someone would have told her. Unless... Nora's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, thoughts of a lonely, isolated young Alidasht woman.

She was about to try and speak, to say something to Count Emil when she saw her sister walking up to them and her mouth hung open, the words dead in her throat. Slowly, she closed it, waiting for Elena to approach. It was strange, feeling immense joy and excitement at seeing her sister again while also feeling like she was contending with a snake. Danger to her right, but all she could think about was how wonderful it was to see her sister again. The sibling bond was a strange one indeed.

Still, Nora wasn't entirely sure what to do here. They needed to acknowledge Count Emil and somehow deal with Amira's surprising lack of awareness.

"It is lovely to meet you, Count Emil." Nora replied, her voice quiet and shaky despite her best efforts to try and sound confident. She curtsied just slightly in his direction before she turned to Amira. "I'm not sure that topic is truly appropriate for this occasion. I'm sure myself or my sister Elena would be happy to explain it to you on another day?" Nora tried to offer, motioning to her sister who had joined them.

"Elena, I'm happy you made it." Nora finally greeted her sister. She was smiling but either of her siblings could see that she was a few steps away from tears and a full breakdown. Though, that wasn't entirely hard to do.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Sir Nikolai Dragos Berova
Sir Nikolai Dragos Berova

Time:Evening
Location: Ballroom
Attire: All black with mute gold/grey embellishments.
Interactions: @CitrusArms Stratya & @Redking0380 Fareed
Mentions: Ariella, Anastasia and Co

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Nik entered just after Ariella did. Where the music swelled for Ari, it almost dimmed for Nikolai. His name was offered with the air of enthusiasm his family afforded, which was little. Being mostly unknown was both a blessing and a curse for it meant Nik could walk about with little scrutiny, but it also meant he had to fight that much harder to be heard or seen.

His gaze swept over the room once, calm and deliberate as he made note of exits, potential threats, and the subtle shifts in attention that followed him like a shadow as he made his way further into the room. All he saw was a pair of ambitious viscounts, an incredibly desperate baroness, and a gentleman who was already calculating dowry figures from across the floor. Satisfied that he hated all of them equally, he carried on, watching Ariella walk in front of him. He could sense the tension in her shoulders, weighing her down. He'd expected a prim and proper princess type, spoiled and mostly rotten, but he'd gotten someone with a lot more depth to her. He wasn't sure yet if that was preferable or not.

He lingered towards the edge of the room, where the air was a bit cooler and the smiles less rehearsed. His duty right now was proximity, not suffocation. Close enough to intervene but far enough to breathe. Or at least pretend to.

A passing servant caught Nik's eye, a young woman with striking black hair balancing a tray of delicate glasses. A smirk grew on his lips for a moment as he positioned himself to step into her path along her blind spot.

"Careful," He murmured, one hand lifting to steady the tray. His gaze flicked to hers, warm with amusement. "I'd hate to be responsible for a tragedy before the night has even truly begun."

She blinked, startled before recovering with a polite and practiced smile. "My lord."

"Ahh, not so formal." Nik started, tusking as he shook his head, "It makes me feel as though I should behave." There was the faint hint of a laugh, quickly suppressed, as he leaned in a little closer. "Tell me... Do they keep anything in this place that doesn't taste like sugared regret?"

The servant's lips pressed together, fighting a smile. "I'm afraid the selection is... appropriate for the occasion."

"A tragedy after all, it seems." He sighed, though his eyes gleamed as the cogs in his mind turned for a way forward. "But perhaps you might take pity on a man clearly unsuited to such a delicate offering." He offered, motioning towards himself.

"And what would that pity look like, sir?" She asked, quieter but clearly amused by him.

"Something stronger." His tone warmed and slipped into something almost sincere. "Something that burns."

Her gaze lingered on him a moment, and Nik waited, watching her expressions. Then, with a small, almost imperceptible nod, she adjusted her grip on the tray. Success.

"I might be able to find something," She spoke, lifting her head to look at him more fully. "If you're willing to wait."

Nikolai smiled and pressed in a little closer, lifting a hand to her cheek. "For you? I find myself remarkably patient."

She moved on, the faintest trace of color on her cheeks as Nikolai straightened and took in a breath. He rolled his shoulders as if settling back into something and let his gaze drift around the room again. Ari was speaking with a group and seemed okay, all things considered. His eyes narrowed on the blonde woman she was speaking with. She seemed somewhat familiar but he couldn't place where. He shrugged, turned and spotted someone he'd been meaning to chat with again.

A sly smile grew on his lips as Nikolai made his way over to Stratya and the rather tall man next to her. From the vibes alone, he didn't seem all that impressed with her and she seemed... slightly uncomfortable. With the air of a man who felt confident in his own skin, Nikolai began to walk over to the two, intent on helping his poor knight friend. Or at least intent on knowing what was being said there.

"Captain Durmand!" Nik called out, walking up behind the knight. He slid in beside her and gave her a knowing smile. "Fancy seeing you here." He added with a soft chuckle. "And this is...?" He asked, motioning to the man she was speaking with. Gods was he tall....

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ
ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ

Time: Evening
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Lucian's Outfit
Interactions: @princess Marina, @Oso Ambrose
Mentions: None

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"Marina." Lucian returned, his smile faltering for a moment as she continued. Was he that obvious? His gaze glanced up from Marina to Ambrose, unable to stop himself. As quickly as he glanced, his gaze shifted back to his sister. Clearly he needed to work on his poker face... He just didn't know how he was going to explain this to Marina without insulting Ambrose. Though, he supposed at this point that Ambrose knew very well where the two of them stood. That thought only made his stomach turn more, only made the anxiety worse.

He turned his head very slightly as she leaned in to whisper. "You'd look this way too if the man behind you hated your very existence." He whispered back, his voice as low as he could possibly get it. He pulled away after that, smiling at her. "My dear sister, I am always thrilled to see you." He started before lowering his voice again, "Even when you pelt me with questions until my head aches."

Then he had a small debate within himself on how to greet Ambrose and if he even wanted to. It would be uncomfortable if he did and he might save the man the trouble of needing to interact with him, but if he didn't it would look bad for both of them. A second later, Lucian took in a soft breath and smiled as he turned now to acknowledge Ambrose.

"Ambrose, thank you for getting her here safely as always." Lucian spoke, trying his best to keep his tone even. Lucian could deal with a lot of things but he felt that talking to the King, as much as he didn't like him, would be easier than facing her brother. At least the King wasn't a constant reminder of his own failings and broken promises. There was still a large part of Lucian that was still that frail Lucian that roamed the halls at night, starving and drunk, trying to bury his head in the sand. He was trying to be better.

He had to.

๑ ❝ 𝕮 𝔥 𝔞 𝔯 𝔪 𝔢 𝔡 , 𝕴‘𝔪 𝖘𝔲𝔯𝔢 ❞ ๑ { A Witch’s Tale - RP }

Finn McKinley

Mentions: Soren, Trish, Gregori, Juniper, Wren
Interactions: none

Finn turned from Gregori as their host began to speak. The dull expression on his face remained as he considered both Gregori's words and Juniper's. He didn't want to be among friends. He didn't want to care, didn't want to have those feelings. Feelings were bad, feelings led to bad things. His brows furrowed for a moment before he took a short breath. He was okay. He would be okay. No explosions. Calm.

After a short moment, he took long strides towards the circle, grabbing a cup of tea unceremoniously, and glanced around the room as he did. He listened as Soren introduced himself. The only thought going through Finn's head was, 'mouse,' which the boy reminded him of. He had a thought that perhaps he wouldn't be so bad to hang out with. Perhaps. He clocked Trish's smirk and rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what was going through her head and was more than glad when she didn't act on it.

Finn seated himself a moment later and was about to open his mouth to get introductions out of the way when he heard the voice of someone else entering, addressing Juniper. Maybe he wouldn't have to introduce himself after all? That would be cool. Finn kept his expression even as he watched, but there was mild curiosity on his features despite himself.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Ariella & Nikolai

Time: Evening
Location: Edwards Estate and then the Ballroom

---

The bedroom smelled faintly of rosewater and hot iron.

Ariella sat stiffly before her vanity, hands folded in her lap as the last curl cooled against her shoulder. Her lady’s maid had been at this since dawn. Tightening corset laces, undoing them again, brushing and rebrushing until every strand of Ariella’s long red hair fell in perfect, polished spirals down her back. Pins had pricked her scalp more than once. Powder had been dabbed and redabbed until her freckles were softened but not erased. Just refined her mother insisted.

Refined.

Ariella stared at her reflection.

Her hair fell in glossy curls, carefully arranged so they framed her face and spilled over one shoulder. Dark makeup lined her eyes. It was subtle, but deeper than she would ever choose for herself, making the green of her irises seem sharper, almost guarded.

Outside her window, she could already hear the distant clatter of arriving carriages. The ball would be grand. It always was. Glittering gowns, false laughter, too-bright chandeliers and eyes that judged more than they greeted.

She hated it.

Hated the way people looked at her like something to be evaluated. Hated the shallow compliments. Hated pretending she wasn’t counting the minutes until she could retreat somewhere quiet.

Her mother’s voice echoed from earlier that morning “You will thank me one day, Ariella.”

She knew Nik was waiting downstairs for her already. It was time to go.

Ari stood atop the steps that lead into the foyer and she began making her way down the stairs carefully. Her large lavender gown adorned with flowers, butterflies and falling petals followed behind her.

It didn’t take long for her graceful entrance to be nothing but as she nearly tripped on her gown. Her hand gripped the railing as her foot slipped back into her shoe. Grumbling under her breath she finally made it to the bottom of the stairs as she fluffed out her gown.

Nik hadn’t been looking forward to this the same way he might have when he was younger. In his age, he saw it as an opportunity, a chance to make himself known, shake hands and get to know the court. It was less a fantasy and more grounded. He was looking forward to the opportunity to manipulate his way into a higher standing. What he wasn’t looking forward to was the way he had to go about it.

He loathed getting dressed up like this, hated how stiff and stuffy it felt. He’d always hated formal events, even when he was younger. He learned fairly early on that events like this were more masquerade than anything else. Everyone wore masks, everyone.

He’d been waiting for Ariella for what seemed like hours and he just about made up his mind to go looking for her when he heard quiet footsteps. He turned just in time to see her. Suddenly, his mind leapt back to just a few days ago when he’d admitted to her that she would have added to his tally if it weren’t for their positions. The image of her now only cemented his feelings on that topic more. Well, if it weren’t for how uncomfortable she looked.

He took a few steps closer, as if ready to catch her, when she began to stumble. ”I’m guessing no shoes weren’t an option?” He asked with a raised brow. Somehow, he knew in the depths of his heart he’d be carrying those shoes for her by the end of the night.

Letting out a sigh she shook her head ”Sadly not…” she steadied herself catching her balance after a brief moment.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of his appearance before drawing her full attention. She stared for a moment, caught in her own surprise at how well he appeared to clean up. ”You look…” she attempted to find the appropriate word. ”...nice.” she said with a smile though she meant something different.

Nik raised a brow at her. Her compliment hadn’t been what he was expecting and he turned his head down a moment to look at his outfit as if he couldn’t believe that he only looked ‘nice’. He blinked for a moment, looking up at her.

”And you look uncomfortable.” He replied, shrugging his shoulders at her. He offered her his arm. ”But at least we can be uncomfortable together, hm?” He added with a small laugh.

Ari’s expression held a blank gaze for a moment before laughing and nodding. He wasn’t wrong and she enjoyed his honesty. Nodding she accepted his arm while the other hand pulled up the hem of her dress so she wouldn't trip. ” At least you pull off your attire. I am sure your dance card will fill up fast this evening.” Her eyes glanced up at him briefly smiling warmly before following him out the door to the carriage.

”Oh, I’m sure it will.” He chuckled, already a little happy at the prospect. However, his job was to look after Ari. He wasn’t sure how much dancing he would get in tonight. ”And I think you’re the only one who thinks you don’t pull off your attire.” He added as he guided her outside and helped her into the carriage.

Ari appeared oblivious to his complement as she scratched at her itchy gloves while it slipped down her arm. Her attention drew back as she realized she was meant to get into the carriage.

Nik gave the driver a quick nodded and then deftly hopped in after her. He sat himself across from her, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her. ”Yes, I imagine your dance card will fill up too and then I’ll be too busy staring at the men you dance with to care too terribly much about the women I’d be dancing with.” He admitted with a short laugh.

Fluffing out her dress as she sat back against the carriage she shook her head ”Clearly you haven’t been to many of these. Women are like sharks when a good looking man, especially one who they haven’t seen before, walks in.” she smiled, shrugging. ”The only person who I imagine would dance with me would be Callum…” Her voice seemed to drop as her eyes flicked down to look at her feet before looking out the window as they began to move. ”I haven’t seen or heard from him since Drunkard's day…” the words slipped out almost absent mindedly. The look on her face was one of worry, as if she were holding a secret in.

He smiled at the ‘good looking man’ comment. ”What? You think I wouldn’t dance with you?” He asked, raising a brow. Ari’s eyes flicked towards him with a soft smile before looking back out the window. He'd heard that name from her before. He didn’t know if he should do a little digging or just let her tell him about it organically. From the way she talked about him, he felt it best that he let her tell him. Snooping about that was likely to only hurt his chances of her trusting him.

”Is he someone you fancy?” Nik asked, keeping his tone calm and a relaxed smile on his face.

”I care a lot about him… he’s my friend. There may be feelings…” she smiled softly thinking back at the night in the woods. ”He’s the prince, though we never used those titles. When the king put me in the cells for the night, he spent the entire night keeping me company. He understood me and never judged me.” she let out a soft sigh as the carriage bounced around while they drove. ”Something has changed though and it’s not like him… maybe he’s drunk in a ditch somewhere but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. “

Nik listened quietly as she spoke. There might have been a small part of him that was jealous that she could form such a close-knit bond with someone else. The part of him that found those feelings to be an inconvenience won over though.

”Well, from one fool who’s been drunk in a ditch somewhere before to another, I hope he finds his way out soon.” He replied with a short laugh. He turned to look at the scenery as the carriage moved towards their destination.

Smiling, Ari nodded in agreement. Taking in a deep breath to ease her nerves. ”You are probably right.”

”I know you probably don’t trust me much right now. And I know that my opinion is probably worth as much as a pile of pebbles, but… I hope that if anything happens tonight, you’ll trust that I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.” He explained, turning to look at Ari. ”I might talk to other people, dance with other women, but you are my top priority. Stay within my line of sight, please? I’ll promise to do the same.” He asked, smirking a little at the last line.

Her lips parted slightly as she caught herself wanting to argue but instead she relaxed her shoulders and leaned back against the carriage wall. ”...Deal.” she returned his smile knowing that at some point she would likely take off to the gardens but perhaps it would be a test to see if he was indeed watching. She slightly smirked as the mischievous idea came to her.

He watched her for a moment, as if trying to gauge whether he thought she meant what she said, but then realized there was no point. He would guard her all the same.

”We will be arriving shortly, have you been to one of this size before?” she asked him curiously, still not knowing much more about him than his womanizing ways.

Nik shook his head. ”No. My grandfather never wanted to send me before. But now that he’s lost his prize horse, I guess I’m next up.” He returned, a little more bite on his tongue than he meant to have. He took in a breath and shrugged.

Prized horse? She wanted to ask more questions but decided perhaps it wasn’t the right time.

”But I’ve been to enough functions like this to hold my own.” He added with another shrug. Truthfully, he was nervous but he’d never let that show.

Squinting, Ari looked at him as she bit back a smile. ”Well, this will be rather lavish. Lots of food, conversation, sometimes even synchronized dances. The king will show as well from time to time as his children tend to attend these dances, it is courting season after all. However, hearing the news of the queen…” Ari paused for a moment as she attempted to swallow back her own worry. ”I can only imagine what they may be feeling, knowing their father though he will likely force them to attend.” she knew that Callum may in fact be delighted to hear about his mother in some regards, having only his father now in his way but Annie… she already was struggling and now with the loss of her mother, she couldn’t even imagine what she might be feeling.

He let out a soft sigh, hearing her explain the event. It wasn’t necessarily like he didn’t know what it would entail, but he supposed he found it endearing that she was trying to help him.

”It will be an eventful evening I imagine…and an overwhelming one at that. So should you need some rescuing of your own, just come find me. No one will question me leaving and with you being my guard it's a perfect cover to not tarnish your reputation.” she laughed softly attempting to lighten the mood, not just for his sake but her own.

”I’m supposed to be the one saving you, little princess.” He replied with a smirk. Still, he might take her up on that offer. He greatly disliked all the stiffness that came with events like these and he could only imagine the father his grandfather would make if he bungled this.

”Though, I may take you up on that.” He offered after a beat. He felt the carriage slow and poked his head outside to have a look. Sure enough, they were getting close to the drop-off area.

”Ready to endure a night of endless torture in the form of dancing and fake smiles?” He asked with a grin and a playful look in his eyes. He didn’t wait for her reply and instead moved to open the door as the carriage came to a full halt. He held his hand out to her, dark eyes watching her.

She peered out the carriage door as Nik stood there with his hand out. There were people all gathered in small groups laughing and admiring each other's outfits. The music was already seeping out the front doors as she felt a nervous pit fall into her stomach.

Shaking the feeling the best she could she reached for his hand and steadied herself and she stepped out of the carriage. It didn’t take long for the coach driver to hurry away with the carriage as others continued to arrive. Ari’s hand lingered on Niks for a moment longer than she intended, perhaps to stop her from falling. She looked up at him and smiled before letting go.

”I don't think I'm ever ready for these.” she paused for a moment before looking over her shoulder at Nik ”Maybe your friend will be here, Kalliope. She attends these from time to time but I'm sure it will be nice to see a familiar face. I’ve not spoken to her myself but I do hope they found her…” she said softly, no tone of anything but concern.
Ari started to walk towards the door, with Nik being her guard. It was important they kept their spacing but there was some comfort in knowing she at least wasn’t alone.

Nik felt a pang of something in his chest when hearing Kalliope’s name. Nik wasn’t one for connections or commitment. He didn’t like feeling tethered to someone else, it was part of his issues surrounding romance, and yet, here he was, worried for someone he considered a friend. For all of his work on making sure he didn’t get close, he sure was close.

Not close enough. He sighed and brushed the thought to the side. It did him no good here. His eyes glanced around the space, getting a good look at the faces around them, scanning for anything he might deem out of the ordinary. He nodded quietly to Ari at her words once he was sure everything was safe.

He kept up this vigilant watch as he followed after her. He let her lead, more than happy to let the young woman take charge of her own life here. He just needed to protect her. That was his only role. Still, he couldn’t help but smirk when he noticed that at least two or three of the women he saw in the crowd were ones he recognized. He gave one of them a wink and he chuckled as she threw her nose up at him and turned. Maybe it wouldn’t be so boring after all.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ
ʟ ᴜ ᴄ ɪ ᴀ ɴ ᴄ ᴀ ᴍ ɪ ʟ ɪ ᴀ

Time: 6PM
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Lucian's Outfit
Interactions:
Mentions: @princess Marina, @Oso Ambrose

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He had said his goodbyes to the last young woman who had seen him in passing and had stopped to say hello. He couldn't quite put his finger on how he felt right now in this moment. It was as if everyone in the room were simply shades of grey. He'd been greeted by a beautiful woman and he knew her to be, but... There was no color there, no spark, no joy. It was performative. A smile here, a gentle kiss to the back of their hand, a nodded hello to a fellow gentleman. He couldn't get past the way it all felt so... dull.

He had closed his eyes for a moment, tired, and was about to try and get himself back into the swing of things. He had a goal, he needed more information and he needed to look like he was in search of a wife. When he opened his eyes again, he heard the herald announce a familiar name and he couldn't help but glance over just in time to see his sister's grand entrance. She, unlike the others, was full of color and life. It pulled a small smile to his lips, despite himself. As irritating and dramatic as she could be, he was happy to see her.

And then he noticed Ambrose behind her and a familiar wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. He was happy to see him. Happy to see him with his sister, guarding her, knowing that she was safe. He was guilty. He was... He could never manage to look Ambrose in the eye, not fully and never without some far away look his eyes like he was having an out of body experience any time he had to.

...And then they were walking towards him. He had half a mind to turn tail and run, find literally any reason to step into conversation and avoid the both of them. As much as Marina was a comfort to him, the man behind her was not. The man behind her was a walking, barely talking, bubble of discomfort and one he'd often rather avoid when he could. However, Lucian also knew the lengths his sister would go to to see him. The hoops she would jump through to get what she wanted. He knew better than anyone. Jaw set as if bracing himself for a storm, Lucian turned with a smile towards his sister as he waited for her to approach.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Dress
Interactions: @Chrys Amira
Mentions: @Remram Magnus

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Nora had been staring down at the floor when she felt something smack against her head. Her eyes went wide and her face drained of it's color as images swirled in her mind of this woman hitting her for being so careless. Her mind spun with ways she could make up for it, get back in her good graces all while trying not to spiral into a panicked mess.

When she heard her speak, Nora raised her head slowly, keeping Magnus' words in mind. Slow.. steady breathes. Keep your feet squarely on the ground... When she looked up, she spotted the way the woman was holding her own head. Then it clicked. She hadn't hit her. She'd bumped into her. A wash of relief came over Nora like a gentle wave and she lifted a hand to hide her mouth as a small chuckle escaped her lips.

"Sorry, sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you." She started, shaking her head at the rather beautiful woman in front of her. "I'm laughing more at myself than anything." She added. She smiled as warmly as she could at the young woman, despite the jitters of anxiety still bouncing around in her. "I absolutely love your dress." Nora spoke, hoping she might be able to allow the other girl a chance to recover.

"I am Nora Pawonska, daughter to Count Pawonska. You are...?" She asked, keeping her voice soft.

๑ ❝ 𝕮 𝔥 𝔞 𝔯 𝔪 𝔢 𝔡 , 𝕴‘𝔪 𝖘𝔲𝔯𝔢 ❞ ๑ { A Witch’s Tale - RP }

yippie!!

Sorry for my own radio silence! Happy to explain my random mia-ness to themaybreeze privately if needed, but otherwise, life's just kind of been a bitch lately. But!! I'm back and ready to have Finn repress ALL his emotions as always. LMAO.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Evening
Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Dress
Interactions: @Chrys Amira
Mentions: @Infinite Cosmos Munir

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Nora had spent the past several minutes of her time at the ball trying to calm her own over-active imagination at the idea of dancing with someone as attractive as Munir. Her mind spun with stories, her dress swaying as they danced, his hands holding her... Whisking her away from all of this, talking in quiet, whispers and promises...

Nora shook her head vehemently, as if doing so would shake the thoughts right out of her head. She shouldn't get her hopes up like that, he was just being polite. There was no way he'd do any of that tonight and she wasn't even truly sure she wanted him to besides. Still... She couldn't stop the way her mind imagined their faces coming closer together... quiet and full of desir-

"Oh-!" Nora gasped, feeling a weight of something hit her in the back. She turned, face still flushed red from her own thoughts. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't even been paying attention and now she was sure she'd upset someone. "I'm so sorry to have been in your way!" She called out, bowing as deeply as she could manage. Hopefully that would be enough?