( ♛ -- five crowns !!

[charmie]

mood; perturbed
tagged; completely open
outfit; x
place; the ball

♛ ) ) Ｖａｌｅｒｉｅ Ｓｏｌｉｓ
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Valerie, waking up she had her maids in front of her and observing them she could tell that they were obviously preparing her clothes as well as make up for the ball that was about to begin. She was really looking forward to it like all the other girls, or at least she could guess the others looked forward to meet the dreamy princes that everyone apparently fell in love with. The most popular of the four was Micah, Val had heard quite a bit about him as he wanted to kill the king among other things. Sadly Val had no interest in the boy or really any of them, she of course wouldn't mind getting to know each an everyone one of them but other than that she wasn't looking for romance. Finally getting up and out of bed Val begun to stretch out her legs and her arms, just as soon as she had gotten out of bed the maids begun telling the girl how she was now supposed to take a shower.

Sighing quietly Valerie obeyed them and went to the bathroom that was connected to the room, it was a nice bathroom and Valerie personally loved it as she knew many of the unique objects in there because she couldn't help herself so she had looked up the objects in the library and all of them were very vintage with an extraordinary history to them. Admiring them she realized she had been looking at the items for a good five minutes, embarrassed Valerie begun taking a hot shower. Although in the kingdom that she had lived in where it was always hot with the sun burning the day away, Val still enjoyed hot showers but from time to time she would take a cold shower to cool herself off. As her shower was coming to a finish Valerie walked out and dried herself off but even as she was finally relaxed, the maids begun to walk her out and started dressing the young princess.

As the maids were dressing she begun to realize the dress that was chosen, it was a baby blue colored high low dress with platform heels to match the design of the dress. Once the maids had finished putting on her outfit as well as her jewelry they begun to curl her hair and put a hair pin in the middle of the curled hair which made it look magnificent with her ombre hair, even so her hair wasn't actually ombre as she had dark brown hair like her sister but she had dyed her hair blonde so as her hair was growing out it made her hair seem as if it was ombre coloured. Finally finishing up with her hair they brought her to the vanity table that was in the corner of the room, now it was time to put her make up on and in all honesty Val really didn't like make up or at least as much as they were planning to put on her. Even so she patiently sat there and let them do their work, of course she made grumbling noises every once in awhile to prove the point that she was unhappy with the situation that was going on. Surprisingly they were all used to it by now, it didn't surprised Val at all though as they served her quite a majority of the time.

Finally they had come to an end of everything and Val was ready for the ball, looking at herself in the mirror and observing how the dress looked on her slim body. She blushed slightly as it made her actually look like a princess, coming back to her senses though she turned to the maids angrily, "don't tell anyone I like the dress or I'll hurt you!" they laughed at her and smiled, blushing even more she made a grunting nose. Yes Val was still somewhat of a child, but after that the maids begun to escort her to the ballroom. Thinking everything over, from point one to the very last point Val was excited to meet all the other princesses but nervous at the same time. Even she was afraid of what she might say to them, she was hoping that she would be able to hold her tongue back from snarky remarks that could get her in trouble but she truly doubted that she would be able to hold it back for long.

Valerie had finally arrived down to the floor when reporters came over, addressing her as the youngest daughter in the Solis household they begun asking questions, "So how do you feel about this whole event?" Valerie had begun shaking a little bit but stood straight as she knew if she did anything stupid it would make her look extremely unprofessional, which she wanted to avoid at all costs. Smiling slightly she begun answering their questions, "Well to be completely honest I personally think this event is kind of useless as you can't just grab a couple of girls and decide that they may be the princes love. You can't control love, but either way I hope to make some new friends out of all of this. Now if you'll excuse me I should be going." They were somewhat surprised but it was an answer that was expected from the young girl, she didn't lie about many things so she had told them all the truth. Valerie did not completely agree with the situation that all the girls and princes were in, love cannot be chosen or at least in Valerie's opinion.

Now that Valerie had arrived at the ball she looked around and admired all of antiques that were in the room, yeah she was completely ignoring the people who were int he room but it was normal from Val. She was really only interested in the unique things, not saying that the people there were not unique but none of them didn't really catch her attention. Walking past a number of people she walked up to a vase, the pattern on the vase was extraordinary in many ways. It amazed Val that someone could create something so beautiful with only their hands, just like history explaining with words it was hard to get every ounce of detail into the picture. Turning around she looked at all of the people that were walking around, she noticed some of the princesses and some of them were already talking away with some handsome gentlemen. Valerie was nervous about the whole situation, so coming up with some ideas she chose to go get a drink as it would make her look somewhat normal.
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[swords up]

(( ♔ )) ＬＵＣＩＬＬＥ ＨＡＲＬＯＷ ↞↞
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house of hallow ♢ power shifting ♢ tagged micah, emma, marie & aurora mentioned ♢ wearing this

considering the early hour, lucille found their departure was quite lively. an interview was announced, but the entire court and staff, along with a great part of the kingdom, was not expected. thankfully, their arrival was much more peaceful, even though they were late. she was grateful marie was there with her, she relied on her more than one would like to admit, given she didn't like to depend or be a burden to others. the girl's seen more maids than familiar faces ever since they've arrived, and she silently hoped she wouldn't be kept away from her sister the whole evening.

they were rushed to their chamber, and unlike marie, lucille took her dear time getting ready. she had no intention of arriving there early (or on time, if she's being honest) so while the maids ran about, she took a shower and washed her hair too. once she was done, she walked over to the dress laid out on her bed. it was a dress she picked out herself and had sent over - because lucille was lucille, and she wouldn't let luck take charge when it came to first impressions. she ran her hand over it, to smooth out the fabric and eyed her heels and (possibly over-the-top) crown.

after a while, she was all dressed, sitting at the vanity. she pulled out the bobby pins in her hair, letting it sit on her shoulders "do over." she set the pins down and relaxed in her chair. her voice wasn't intimidating, but it was firm. she supposed it didn't matter how she said it, due to that one rumor that she'd killed a man. it was both irritating and constant. unnerving, because it meant people didn't think she could watch her temper, and not, because she had power over many.

another rumor (this one she didn't like in any aspect) that found it's way outside the castle walls, was that she was the child of the king's mistress. where their father found the resemblance of marie and her to him a blessing, lucille looked at it as a curse. she could never be one hundred percent sure of her heritage and percent of nobility. so she made sure no one would question how worthy of her title she really was.

she truly was a perfectionist, and her hair had to be nothing short of perfect. the crown had to sit on her head with no possibility of toppling over, because she didn't believe she had the luxury of embarrassment. "heavy is the head that wears the crown" her mind supplied, quoting her mother, and she couldn't help but smile - because this whole situation really was about a crown. a situation so much more simpler that it might as well be labelled as mockery.

it took some time to get her hair in order again. lucille deemed it perfect, and the maids looked like the weight's world lifted off their shoulders. she picked up the crown ever so carefully, and set it on her head. with one confident smile and a glance in the mirror, she twirled around to look at her maids. she thanked them for their patience, though she believed they wouldn't even bother if they weren't under orders.

the princess picked up a note from the vanity before she was well on her way. she still had time before her ideal time of arrival, so she decided to take the long way to the ballroom, a detour was in order. she didn't have any exact idea where she was going, but walking a circle around the castle wasn't that hard to do, right? besides, there were guards (she ditched hers) and servants on every corner - they had to be able to show her the way to the event. as she walked the halls, she let herself take in the architecture, something she didn't manage when they were lead through the castle that morning.

the tall ceilings and art-adorned walls were mesmerizing. lucille was at ease for what must have been the first time that day. her steps were light and slow, yet her heels clicked with every step she took - a calming symphony composed for this princess only. she looked at the folded note in her hand again, already knowing what was written in it. two names, three clues. it revealed who her partner was, and who she was looking for.

she was partnered with aurora, lucille smiled to herself gleefully, not believing her luck. a familiar face was always welcome, even more so in a new place, with even newer faces. aurora and her have been friends from way back when, and she found this to be the perfect task for the two of them to handle together. she'll easily be the first person she'll look for when she arrives. her eyes fell on the other name, a prince's name. micah, the card read. lucille's heard plenty about him all right, good and bad.

as if on command, she picked up her view, distressed by the sound of footsteps - not her own. she was rather surprised to see guards and a prince on their way down the hall. unmistakably a prince, because the four shields brothers were said to be wearing masks for the ball. lucille held her step, and finished her little promenade with a small bow. she flashed him a charming smile. the distress of his guards was plenty obvious, but she gave them no mind "lucille harlow." she introduced herself shortly.

she took one brave step forward, to cross the awkward distance "i'm not supposed to know your name yet, so if you don't mind," a grin dressed her lips again "i'll just call you 'gorgeous' for now.". and that's certainly what he was. she made sure to remember his face. blue eyes, chiseled face, and hair even she was envious of. if she were a cheater she'd ask other attendants which of the princes it was, but lucille was never one to back down from a challenge "save a dance for me, would you?"

her detour finally ended, and she found herself walking down steps when a reporter stopped her in her daze "sorry to bother you princess, do you have time for a quick interview?" she was caught off guard (ha ha, that's her fault), but offered a smile and a nod before anyone's eye could've caught it "of course, anytime." she waved her hand as if to dismiss her worry. "do you have any expectations for tonight's event?" the question didn't bother her, even though she didn't know what she wanted to say - because she knew what the people wanted to hear ...

the interview indeed was a short one, and lucille was on her way again. she brushed off her practiced smile and smoothed out her dress once more as a subconscious act. without her notice, her legs stopped yet again, finding the same prince she's met before "ditching me already?" she said, amused. her teasing smile turned into a true, sweet one when she looked at the girl by his side. the youngest daughter of blossom, if she's not mistaken.

[frostt.]

((⚔)) 𝙴𝚅𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁 𝙻𝚄𝙲𝙰𝚂 𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙴𝙻𝙳𝚂
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i. evan || ii. eighteen || iii. pain control || iv. tags; valerie || v. mentions; celeste & terrowin

the castle roof was cold and rigid, but the view was well worth enduring the discomfort of sitting on asphalt shingles. evander had stayed up late, this time of year offering the most magnificent display in the evening sky. though he spent many a night admiring the streaks of violet and blue that accompanied the sunset, last night had merely been a vain attempt to postpone the following day. saying he loathed the idea of the selection would be an understatement at its finest. he didn't simply want to avoid attending the ball, he wanted to interrupt its commence all together. not only would it get him out the absurd competition itself, but he knew sabotaging his older brother's attempts at public heed would certainly put a damper on his arrogant mood. he wasn't even certain so to why micah had yet to be excluded from the tournament, surely no princess could love him more than he adored himself.

he didn't detest the king-to-be because he yearned for his position, he despised his brother because of the pressure put on him to act comparably. ultimately, if micah was set to rule, what honest reason did evander have to try and live up to his standards. he didn't. he had no purpose in pursuing such a fantasy, and he only wished for the rest of the kingdom to be capable of seeing it in such a way. a child born of common blood couldn't be seen as a sovereign anyhow, despite having been raised a royal since birth. oh yes, the glorious truth of his lineage. evander himself had even come to accept the rumors of his adoption over the years. he'd never felt like a prince and was seldom treated as such, leaving him little reason to believe otherwise. the people could assume to their wits end, evander hardly cared. his origin narrowly changed who he was inside, the egocentric imposter who scorned everyone and everything that contested against him. the truth obscured behind the facade of a fictional prince charming.

evander wanted to be late. he craved the feeling of appearing long after his brothers simply to vex the gathered attendees, yet the shrill cry of the alarm perched atop his nightstand withheld its own intentions. having been too exhausted to bother with the object the night before, he presumed it to have been a servant that arranged for the wretched device to sound. having adorned his signature dozing position, encompassing a desire to situate his head near the foot of the mattress, evander simply kicked the device from the table with a swift movement of his foot. the timepiece clattered nosily against the hardwood as it fell, the impact presumably having fragmented the inner mechanics, as the piercing sound ceased to survive. with a lethargic yawn, evander rolled onto his back, tossing the satin sheets away from his body as he rose. the incessant knocking had already begun as he threw his legs over the side of the mattress. with a drawn-out stretch, evander dragged himself from the lingering warmth of his bed and traipsed lazily towards the bathroom door. his servants had a key, they could get in without him unlocking the door in his undergarments.

near scalding water streamed across his face as he showered, the temperature set expectantly higher than most favored. he often enjoyed facing the torrent for one reason or another, perhaps to merely drown out the obnoxiously off-key melody resonating from the adjacent room. he spent well over and hour locked within the humid space, diligently styling each strand of his dark hair. no reason to appear any less than perfect, after all, if he was lucky, he'd get the chance to masquerade as his brother. the mere thought sent a roguish grin flickering across his features.

pleased enough with his appearance, evander returned to his room, his eyes immediately skimming across the garments draped over the edge of his bed. he'd requested his outfit for the night be almost entirely black, but the vibrant indigo blazer was precisely striking enough to set him apart from the crowd. most seemed to associate evander himself with the vivid hue of crimson, perhaps due to the harmful nature of his abilities. while he couldn't deny his frequent manipulation of his powers, he'd intentionally chosen blue if not solely for the purpose of opposing what was expected. he often considered himself to be intimidating to most, and for such a reason, it wouldn't astonish him in the least if he was even feared. perhaps donning a more embracing color would better conceal his identity and possibly even add a bit of thrill to an otherwise dull occasion.

it took only a matter of minutes for evander to dress, swinging open the heavy wooden door of his room as he continued to adjust the watch on his wrist. he'd effortlessly convinced his father to refrain from stationing guards at his sides, it wasn't as though he was in need of protection anyhow. he strolled leisurely down the castle halls, admiring the marble columns and elaborate embellishments as he'd done thousands of times in the past. perhaps the structure's adornments were stunning to a newcomer, but to evander, they merely invoked less than tasteful memories.

scarcely attempting to elude the horde of reporters lingering outside the ballroom doors, evander sauntered directly into the fray without hesitation. disregarding the muddled speech of numerous journalists, he proceeded to answer a single pressman's questions aloud. "prince evander, how do you feel knowing there are girls here specifically to seek your attention?" with a discreet roll of his eyes, evander allowed a smile of counterfeit authenticity to crease across his face. "charmed, of course." the following question was another he'd been wholly prepared for, "do you believe you'll find true love tonight?" fiddling with one of the rings on his fingers, evander offered the reporter a pleasing keen nod. "well i'm certainly optimistic," he chuckled.

quickly becoming disinterested in answering, he chose instead to conclude the pointless interview with the one question he was most assured would be asked of all four of them. "is there anything you'll be looking for in a girl tonight?" seldom concerned by the vagueness of his reply, evander simply grinned and pressed through the throng of correspondents as he spoke. "surely you all know me well enough to answer that for yourselves." smirking to himself as the outer ballroom doors established a barrier between him and the cameras, evander fastened his mask over his face and proceeded confidently through the ballroom doors.

the intricately decorated chamber was already brimming with noble attendees by the time evander arrived. he scarcely recognized any of them. there were simply too many aristocrats he'd been required to converse with for him to ever bother striving to remember their names. though there was one familiar face amongst the crowd, or perhaps it was his distance from the assemblage that gave him away. evander watched with faint amusement as terrowin positioned himself at a table undeniably distant from the heart of the party, yet his attempts at isolation were foiled by the arrival of a slim blonde clothed in black. unable to suppress the chuckle that slipped from his lips as the girl abruptly occupied the seat across from his less than sociable brother, evander then allowed his gaze to drift. an array of colors danced across the ballroom, gowns and suits of all colors adorned by the numerous guests. nonetheless, it was the pale blue dress beside the hor'dourve table that caught his eye. certainly she was one of the princesses, her elaborate hairstyle and glittering jewelry a sure sign that she held a title of noble significance.

fashioning a charming smile, evander considering speaking with her an opportunity to better acquaint himself with the girls he'd only known through vague information complied in a poor excuse for a profile. seizing a berry from the table behind her, evander strode up alongside the ombre brunette, gesturing towards the artwork strung across the ballroom. "i couldn't help but notice you admiring the art, " his voice was laced with practiced allure as he spoke. "i'd have to say that statue is my personal favorite," he lifted his eyes towards a stone-carved knight positioned against the far wall, his presence intended to guard a priceless collection of intricate vases. "anything that caught your eye in particular?" evander was almost certain she felt as impartial to the event as he himself, but he was determined to make something of the night, even if it required him to initiate insipid evening chatter.

[lykos brethren]

✶ ZEPHRYNE EVERLIN SOLIS !
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( nname ) zeph, zephy, little wolf and blaze
xxx ( age ) twenty xxx ( power ) fire bending/ pyrokinesis

[ TAGGED ] OPEN [ MENTIONS ] VALERIE, EVANDER & MARIE
the ride to the castle of vipers was boring and a long trek from the castle of verano. well for most. unlike most people, zephryne enjoyed long rides and meeting people along the way. what she loved even more? was horse riding and she knew how to ride a horse from the age of four -- as well as use her ability, but let's not get into that. so, to much of her father's disapproval, she rode her favourite Dutch warmblood to the castle. she had helped a few of the trainers break him in, and now they have an unbreakable bond. zeph would stop every so often and check out the villages and talk to a few people. yes, her father got annoyed, but he has gotten use to her antics over the years. now, he sees the good in her talking to the villagers. but it doesn't stop him getting impatient with her, which all of the royals of verano seem to share.

while she would be riding a horse, her sister would be with her father in the carriage. Zephryne remembers as a child she would get agitated in the carriage, it made her feel claustrophobic. like she couldn't breathe. And if a fire can't breathe, it fights to live or it will go out like a flame. so, once she turned three, her father taught her to ride horses and some of the stable boys did as well. soon, enough, she became a brilliant effortless rider. One that now that preferred horse riding to sitting in a rickety old carriage, that would drive her insane.

upon arriving to the castle, she hadn't actually seen it in person, and admittedly, she thought it was beautiful. However, she didn't like this whole selection thing. The only real reason she was kicking and scream --apart from being mature, well at times-- she actually was curious about it all. She has only heard rumours about the princes and apparently what they appear like, that is about it. which, once her curiosity has been sparked she needs to find answers. That is when her determination majorly kicks in. while most see it as her being impulsive -- which she is -- it is actually more because she wants to find answers and quickly at that.

sighing, she hoped off her horse, and patted his neck gently before he was lead to the stables. While most would be dressed all glameous, in dresses upon arrival. Zeph was the opposite, she had most of her riding gear on, her breast plates some loose armour. one could say she definitely isn't the common princess. Nor did she want to be. The thought of being dressed up and doing nothing but looking pretty made her yawn with bordom. She would rather be out doing stuff, on adventures, fighting or battling. she loved the whole action side of things. It was what she lived for. Okay okay, some may even say she is just an adrenaline addict, which in some cases she is. But hey? some adrenaline won't kill you. in fact, it saves lives usually. for that sudden kick of energy. ah, the sweet bliss and the burning of the muscles. Okay, zeph was an addict. It is declared.

zeph sighed as she walked up the stairway inside of the castle. Her hand resting on her sword on her hip in its stealth. Okay, definitely not lady like, but this woman was one you didn't want to mess with. She can easily outwit with words and remands, as well as win in a sword fight. zeph first sword wasn't a sword at all, it was a thin blade, more like a stick. she had named is needle. fitting for such a slender and thin sword, good for her especially since she was thin and small as a child. however, now, she was taller standing at five foot eight. some say average height, some say tall. With height, she grew thinner and now is quite a slender and petite woman, which most are. However, she does have muscle in her from riding and sword fighting.

maids rushed to her, to show her way to her room. walking in, the first thing she noticed was how big the room was, even bigger than hers at home. then it was the bed, it was big as well. Wooden and old looking. that was when she noticed the beautiful red gown on the bed. Her houses colour, red. just like fire. however, her favourite colours have been green and blue, however she did like the colour red. "very beautiful. I dont think such an unlady like person like myself should wear it." she spoke honestly, as that is what she thought and what others probably thought too. But It wasn't like she cared what people thought of her. She never cared, they could think whatever they wanted about her. the maid simply smiled at her, "but it is the colour of your house. you are very much worthy of your house, my lady." zeph couldn't help but chuckle at her calling her my lady. zeph felt her hands warm for a moment before she sighed. "let me get ready." she spoke as she waved the maids out of her room. Once they were out, she began to get herself ready and organised for the ball that she would be attending. deciding to have a shower first, to get rid of the grime on her before she put the delicate red gown on. Then did her hair and make up, before lastly slipping on her jewellery and black heels.

Finally, once zeph had herself organised she saw the letter on the bed. She grabbed it, and opened it, before reading the contents. She raised a dark eyebrow, before a cheeky grin spread across her face. so she was paired with Marie, to find prince evander. 'hmmm, this definitely will be interesting.' she thought. she read the three clues she was given and memorised them before she walked out the room. she began to head to the ball room, where the ball would be held. Lifting her gaze, she saw a whole heap of reporters waiting to pounce on anyone's entering the ball. Of course, as soon as she did, they took their opportunity. zeph sighed impatiently before the responded asked their first question, "lady solis. how do you feel about this selection process?" they asked as they waited for her to answer. To be honest, she had expected that question to come first, "if I'm completely honest, I'm very intrigued by it all. Never know what is going to happen, love the element of surprise." she smiled politely, before another question was fired at her, "which prince do you believe you may have an interest in?" zephryne bought for a moment before she laughed lightly, "who knows, I will have to get to know them better in person. all opinions are open to me." she commented, before she looked at the entrance, "now I have to go. Or I will be late." she smiled and waved politely before she walked Inside.

once inside the ball room, she had realised she had been later than expected. she looked at everyone in the room, filled with noblemen and women. But she knew some where the princes by the way they wore masks. However, she never would be able to tell who's who. it would be very difficult task, but whatever challenge was thrown at zeph, she would take it in stride and never give in. zephryne sighed, first things first was finding Marie. looking around, she saw the familiar small petite and slender woman. Spotting one of the princes with her, she raised an eyebrow. Maybe it would be best to leave the two be for a moment. So with that, she felt lost in the crowd of people in the ball room. Sighing, she decided to go and sit down by herself for a moment. Her hands rest neatly in her lap. But it didn't take bordom very long to set in. Soon enough, flames began to flicker over her knuckles,and the few people around her soon moved further away. She could almost sense the fear and rolled her eyes. she can understand why they feared her, but it was ridiculous honestly. So once again, the eldest of house verano, zephryne solis, now sat by herslef playing with her flames. Oh how her father would not be pleased. but right now, she couldn't careless what he thought. for anyone's opinions.

[heartless,]

( ♕ ) -- ❝ ＭＩＣＡＨ ＳＨＩＥＬＤＳ！
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( role. emotion control ) ( location. hallway ) ( mood. words ) ( tags. emma, lucille, marie, zeke [tagged] ) ( ooc. the kittne nickname is just too cute )

he was sure she would be able to see the shock in his blue orbs when she actually agreed to enter the ball with him. he knew he was smooth but he must have had better than he thought. a smile appeared on his face when she put her hand into is. he could feel how badly she was shaking but he knew better than to point it out. many thought the prince's head was filled with just emptiness or air but he was a lot smarter than everyone thought. "I wouldn't dare make a girl as beautiful as you look like a fool." that was totally a lie but he always had a way with words to make everyone swoon over him. if he did somehow make her look like a fool he could careless. Micah only ever looked out for himself.

he was not planning on having a girl in his hand when he first entered the ball. Zeke and himself planned to stick with each other the whole night and just pray terro and Evan got unmasked first. Micah and his younger had spent the night coming up with a plan that would make them the last ones unmasked. the prince definitely wanted to be the last but he was pretty sure he would be the first. people could easily get under his skin and he had problems controlling his anger, that's where Ezekiel was supposed to come in handy. speaking of his brother, where was he? he didn't see him in the hallway so he figured he was already inside.

the grand entrance he had just planned in his head could get ten times worse or ten times better when he heard the voice behind him. it no other than the panther girl he ran into earlier. he only knew it was Lucille because she was one the profiles he actually fully read. he had no idea who thought it was such a great idea to let a killer cat into the kingdom but they definitely needed to get their self-checked out. "I'm surprised you haven't forgotten about me yet." he said with a smile on his face. "it seems I was not the only one here who likes to show up late." it was hard not to notice the red crown resting upon the princesses head. it was clear she was making everyone aware she would be one of the queens. "already crowning yourself as queen huh?" he asked raising a brow at the girl. "what prince is your prey tonight, kitten?" Micah already knew it was him but he loved to play dumb.

"if I hide in the hall much longer my cover will be blown when my father kills me," he said half joking and half serious. he held the door open for the two princesses. "after you two beautiful ladies." he felt he played this awkward situation out beautifully without uncovering who he really was. if he was unmasked it would have gone down with him probably getting slapped with some comment about how there was plenty of him to go around or how he was being the knight in shining armor by saving the damsel in distress.

once the girls walked through the door he followed behind them. to no surprise, all eyes were on them and he could hear the whispers wondering why the prince walked in with two princesses. he could see the disapproving looks on his father's face and all he could do was grin and hope he wouldn't get killed later for his actions. his eyes quickly landed on Zeke who seemed to be helping up a girl who tripped. he turned and looked at Emma and Lucille with a smile. "you two are free to stick with me or continue your search to unmask your prince." he said before heading toward Ezekiel.

"of course my dear brother already has his arms wrapped around a princess." he said with a small smile on his face. "you have to be careful with this one princess because he can never keep his eyes on one girl." since Zeke was supposed to act like Micah he was going to make comments toward him that he always heard someone say about himself. people always had more negative things to say about him than positive but that was because no one stuck around long enough to get past the many layers he had around his heart.

"that is a beautiful red dress you are wearing." he had to get under Zeke's skin a little bit to see how far he was willing to take the whole switching roles for the night. if someone did this Micah he would either snap or just completely lose interest in the girl in front of him and find another. "but if I'm not mistaken you are not from the kingdom of Verano are you?" he was trying to remember what kingdom the girl was from. she must not have had a cool enough power for him to remember quickly so it took him a moment. "you are one of the princesses from Hallow, the one who communicates animals." he had to ask a question he had been curious about since he read both Lucille's and Marie's files. "if your sister is in her panther form can you actually speak with her?" the girl might come in handy later if he someone how makes Lucille mad at him and she gets all killer panther mode on him.

[Loire.]

( ❅ ) Ｍ Ａ Ｒ Ｉ Ｅ x Ｒ Ｏ Ｓ Ｅx Ｈ Ａ Ｒ ＬＯＷ
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house Hallow power animal communication age eighteen tagged Ezekiel, Micah (mentions) Lucille


Marie was never one for socialization. While she might have enjoyed talking and chatting with close friends, she had always been so worried she would say something wrong. Tonight was no exception. Especially considering she was potentially talking to a prince she would marry in the future. Part of her wanted to talk, make a good impression, and be confident in her words and actions, but her shy nature tended to over take her confidence. So, she stood there starring at the prince who had potentially just saved her from making a total fool of herself, and she had no idea what to say.

Luckily she noticed Lucille not to far outside of the halls doors. She was most likely talking to the reporters outside. They had always annoyed the young princess. If there was anything she could change about royalty, it would be the amount of privacy one gets. She appreciated everything and was grateful of the family she had been born into, but she always just wanted it all to go away. She waved at her sister, and then looked back at the masked prince. "Oh, sorry thats my sister. She is quite late, but she always needs everything to be perfect" Marie mumbled, fiddling with her locket. She knew the prince probably didn't want to hear about the girls sister, so she just looked down, and waited for him to speak.

After a couple seconds of dead silence, another masked gentlemen sauntered over to the pair. He began to spoke, which was slighly reliving to Marie considering that the silence was filled with his voice, and not her's. But once he was finished she knew she had to say something, she couldn't just nod and laugh, unfortunately. "of course my dear brother already has his arms wrapped around a princess." She smiled at the prince and when he paused, she decided to say something.

"Oh, he was just being a gentleman, and catching me" she muttered with a small quiet laugh. "you have to be careful with this one princess because he can never keep his eyes on one girl." Marie's cheeks turned pink, blushing slightly she looked down. "that is a beautiful red dress you are wearing." She smiled and looked at her dress. It was quite stunning, and Marie being the pushover she was let the maids pick it out. They had better taste than she expected. "Why thank you, the maids here have wonderful taste."

Then, he spoke again, this time speaking of Lucille and her home. Intrigued, Marie looked up in his direction. "but if I'm not mistaken you are not from the kingdom of Verano are you?" Before she could correct him, he figured it out himself. "you are one of the princesses from Hallow, the one who communicates animals. if your sister is in her panther form can you actually speak with her?"

Mar nodded with a smirk splitting her lips. Yes, that is correct. I can communicate with her, though she rarely changes form. If she does, its usually not in public" she spoke softly, her voice welcoming and warm. Marie had always had a sweet aura, it did fit her well, but she also had a certain shyness which usually drew people away.

"You have a lovely kingdom, beautifully artwork and might I say the chambers are glorious. I can only imagine the rest of the kingdom and the library" she said, more confidently than usual. It was true, she had been mesmerized by the palace. She urged to visit the library, but didn't want to abandon the masquerade and make a bad impression. "We had a library back in the palace of Hallow, but I guess I read all the books" she spoke with a laugh. Marie's feet began to ache from the large heels she wore. While the princess might have adored the dress, her shoes were another story. She wasn't used to wearing such painful heels, usually they were
shorter, and she would most likely sit for the rest of the ball, so she wouldn't trip again.

Mar grabbed a glass of water off of the table she was supposed to be sitting at. Taking a sip, she glanced around looking for Zephryne. While she was glad that to be talking to the princes's (it gave her a chance to get to know them and discover their true identity) she also wanted to discuss it with her friend. But, despite her efforts, she couldn't' find the fellow princess.

[underwater kitty.]

☄ ＥＺＥＫＩＥＬ ＪＡＭＥＳ ＳＨＩＥＬＤＳ！！
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role;; telekinesis ↠↠ gender; male ↠↠ location; home ↠↠ tagged; marie and micah ↠↠

ezekiel was never usually the type of person to make witty and flirty remarks like the last one he made but he guessed trying to be micah rubbed off on him but the girl seemed to find it amusing which he was a little surprised by. marie was her name,a simple yet pretty name "I would tell you my name but I cant for a few reasons." he said with a smile. reason number one was the fact it would ruin the game and the second was that micah would kill him if he ruined their little scheme so he knew he couldn't tell her.

after her giving her reason for tripping he gave a little laugh "can't say I know what you're talking about but heels do look and sound hard to walk in." he stated thinking about the times he had saw girls fall in heels. "no they just let me walk in off the street and join you guys." he replied sarcastically when she asked if he was a prince or not before nodding "I am." he assured her just in case she didn't understand sarcasm like one of his maids who always got confused by his sarcastic remarks.

zeke had bad luck more often than good look so he related when she said she had bad luck "oh me too don't worry." he said with a smile that could be seen as his dorky smile. his face lit up a little when she quoted a book he had read called 'no country for old men by cormac mccarthy' he had read it in the summer and that had to be his favourite quote from the book "You like to read? I love that book." he said with a wide smile clearly still amazed by what just happened.

a few moments later he noticed the girl wave to some one across that room causing to glance over at the girl she had just waved to. she was also a brunette and he was sure she was the girl who shifted into a panther and was supposed to be searching for micah. he smiled "oh it's fine i can't say i was exactly on time either. he said looking down at her locket "that's a very pretty locket." he stated wondering what was in it as they both looked at it.

all was going well until his brother micah finally arrived and decided to some and see what he was doing. at first ezekiel was confused by his remark because he wasn't really a 'player' until he remembered that he was supposed to be micah and his brother was actually talking about himself "thank you brother i always appreciate your remarks." he said with a slightly sarcastic smile on his face. he appreciated the fact that marie said he was a gentleman though but of course micah didn't stop there. his next remark was slightly worse but it made marie blush which was pretty adorable "that won't happen unless they can't keep my attention but i have a low attention span so i struggle." he said seeing as though he was supposed to be micah. why not make fun of him when there wasn't much he could do about it?

the next thing micah said made zeke know exactly what he was up to and exactly what he wanted him to do "brother why don't you go and find yourself a nice lady to talk to or have you bored them all to death?" he snapped not wanting to leave marie yet because he was quite enjoying their conversation. next thing he knew micah was questioning her abilities by asking if she could talk to her sister when she was in animal form. "brother that was a rather stupid question." he said just to see if he could annoy him.

when marie mentioned the castles beauty he nodded for even though he had lived in the castle all of his life, he always found new things that mesmerised him whilst he wondered the many hallways. when she mentioned the library he smiled once more also dying to leave the ball and go hide out in the library especially now that he thought he could have some good company other than his brothers in there. marie reminded him a lot of belle from beauty and the beast apart from their was no beast. she had a pretty face, brown hair, she was intelligent and had an impressive love for reading. he wanted to tell her how much he too loved to read but he felt it would give away who he was so he didn't say anything.

[aurie]

ＥＭＭＡ ＲＯＳＥ ！
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house ( blossom ) tagged ( micah, lucille, zeke, marie ) location ( the ballroom )


emma just pursed her lips at his rather suave comment, deciding it was better to hold her tongue for once. her parents needlessly reminded her to try and practice a little restraint with her rather sharp remarks, ones that have gotten her plenty of side-eyed glares. however, the voice that suddenly appeared behind them instinctively caused her to pull her hand away from him, suddenly feeling far more embarrassed than before. she already left like a total, utter, fool and they hadn't even entered the ballroom yet. while the sing-songy tone was unfamiliar, emma easily recognized who the girl was. lucille harlow, the eldest of the house of hallow sisters.

her eyes switched between them too as they bantered, and emma felt that she may have interrupted something. her gaze darted back to the hallway and then back to lucille, who emma unintentionally made eye contact with. she merely bowed her head, instead of saying anything in return. the prince's comments made her raise her eyebrows. but by now, she realized that her window of oppurtunity was long gone. besides, she had a nagging feeling to try and make a good impression in front of the princess. she hurriedly smoothed her dress out before walking into the ballroom, praying to the higher heavens that she could manage herself in heels for at least a little bit. dancing was utterly and entirely out of the question, that was certain.

"if you don't mind," she agreed reluctantly to follow the young man. despite her avid searching, emma couldn't seem to spot celeste among the throngs of guests. unwilling to venture off on her own, sticking with two people she hardly knew seemed like the uncomfortable but smarter choice to make. she trailed a few feet behind him, taking rather small, soft stops to avoid tripping or stepping on the hem of her gown. she quickly glanced at the other princess who walked beside her, then looked away. then she looked again, and then away once more. emma gnawed at her lip, deciding what to do. if she could talk to a prince and walk into a ballroom without humiliating herself in front of hundreds, she should be able to introduce herself to one person. right?

"i'm emma. emma rose," she eventually spoke, offering lucille a faint, nearly invisible smile. she fiddled with the rings on her fingers, anxiously taking in the scenery as she pretended to not be that concerned over a simple introduction. the ballroom appeared massive from the outside, but being in it was an entirely different story. she had never seen anything so grand in her life. while she noted the immense beauty, emma still found the natural awe of mother nature much more breathtaking than anything man could build or create. she was so caught up in analyzing the ornate details and people who passed by that she didn't even realize the boy they were following had stopped walking.

she stumbled into him from behind with a small 'oomf'. startled, she backed, up, her heels snagging on the bottom of her dress. she managed to catch herself before entirely wiping out, but the damage had been done to any type of confidence she gained out of this situation. regaining her balance, she brushed herself off with an agitated expression. "my apologies," she hastily mumbled to the masked prince.she fingers quickly smoothed out the back of his coat before she realized what she was actually doing. her hands jumped away at the speed of light. "next time don't stop that abruptly, perhaps," she halfheartedly added as an afterthought, her face heated.

emma then noticed who he was talking to. there was another masked man, meaning one of his brothers. the girl he was with was pretty, with brunette hair and soft features. their conversation led to the realization that she was lucille's sister, marie. it was difficult to tell the differences between the two brothers, besides his attire, mask, and fairly smaller build of the one who was with the younger harlow sibling. it would be incredibly beneficial for her if one of them happened to be ezekial. then she could be over and done with this nonsense and promptly disappear for some fresh air and time to herself. or, even better, valerie solis could unmask their prince for the night so emma didn't have to go through the trouble. she had absolutely no idea how she could even lead one of them to identifying themselves.

[mercenary]

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─── ＳxＨxＩxＥxＬxＤxＳ ───

age. eighteen xx power. natural disaster manipulation xx house. vipers xx location. the ballroom, table xx tags. celeste

xxxxxxxxxxTerrowin's eyes shook unsteadily against the seductive thought of slumber as they quietly memorized the landscape of the ballroom. A light echo called from his bedroom, urging the youngest prince to return to the silk coated cloud of his bed. He could feel his eyelids sagging, clouding his vision with dark spots while his shoulders rocked back and forth. What he would give to fall into a sleepy haze, to be excused from the festivity and fall victim to another world. Instead he was stuck, immovable from this one and forced to endure the constant hateful eyes and tongues from guests. The audacity they had to attend the event in his own home and still poke fingers at him. But oh if he went to the butcher's house and spoke of his scandalous journey while his wife was on visit surely he, Terrowin, would still be the persecutor, it didn't matter the reason. They were all hypocrites, and they were always the victim.

xxxxxxxxxxQuietly, he sat astray from the pack, fading away into the increasing volume. His hands on the table, opposite fingers pressing against each other. It didn't take very long for his "me-time" to have been greatly disturbed by a dark presence. His eyes, previously intrigued by the mingling of his fingers, caught on to the dark cloth adorning a curved figure, clearly belonging to a woman. Terrowin held the black jewelry surrounding her neck entirely with his eyes, he would've had to be dense to not realize this was indeed one of the princesses. However, it was known to Terro that this did not seem like a typical getup of some precious little princess, no, instead he felt he was in the presence of the typical "evil-queen." He was completely expecting to see a girl with bared fangs and furrowed brows but he had been immensely disappointed, and even shocked, to go on this journey and unearth a face which clearly defied the wardrobe. The woman looked... delicate but at the same time she sent chills down his spine. Perhaps it was simply her gown that intimidated Terrowin or the fact that she seemed older, he could never be positive. It seemed his mind had trapped him in a state, time looked frozen as he collected information but was indeed continuing to pursue it's passage. The melodious ting of a glass meeting forces with the table broke him from his cage and he met eyes with the woman. He waited for her to speak, maybe to explain her reason but once again a cold disappointment coated his aura as she simply began humming to herself.

xxxxxxxxxxThe humming, that humming. Something about it seemed so familiar as if he were being greeted by an old friend. Terrowin may not have a beautiful voice that could drag all the woman of the kingdom by their hearts to him but he held a deep appreciation for it, for all the arts. In his years of secluding himself he came to allow himself to fall into the arms of music, photography, art, literature, each and every media. The warm notes and dusty pages soon became good and old friends to him, what he felt to probably be his only friends. Although Terrowin, with his grand passion extending beyond a single subject, can't remember or recall the name of every song or of every sculpture, he was almost entirely unmistakable that it was Vivaldi's Winter, even without hearing the direct words. His body and soul wanted to drink every note to the melody but his heart and mind were terrified of exposing himself, she didn't know his name yet and hopefully she never would have to. Maybe he could go on simply wearing the mask, hiding his true identity, and they could be friends. Terrowin laughed to himself for a brief moment. How silly that sounded.

xxxxxxxxxxThe size of Terrowin's eyes experienced shrinkage as they began to squint in skepticism. Was she trying to get a rise out of him? To humiliate him? What exactly were her plans. Was she dared by her friends to come sit with the monster for the rest of the night. He shifted his gaze in despair towards the awaiting audience yet no one seemed to be looking. A sigh drooled from his lips, he felt confused. People never described him as someone approachable before, people didn't approach him at all. So why was she here. Terrowin was sure she had a sister, maybe even a friend here that she would much rather be with.

xxxxxxxxxx"If you're here to give me your pity and your company, I don't need it." His words fired gunshots towards the foreigner, his weapon raising once more in defense. It was his temper speaking yet again, silencing his mind before it was able to process and speak for itself. And so, suddenly everything had clicked, his mask. Feeling completely dumb that he was accusing her for coming to attack him when none of the princesses or princes had ever seen the face of one another. Now came the wave of guilt crashing into his abdomen to accompany the aftermath of experiencing his temper and forcing his body back into his chair. Terrowin bit his tongue, not wanting to say a thing more. He looked to meet eyes with her, wondering if her reaction would be to cry, rage, or simply get up and leave.

[feather_light_flight]

◤ XXXXXXXXXXXX ◥
XXC E L E S T E
XX20/ Female
XXM U S I C
XXterrowin
XXC O N T R O L
XX5'1"/ 115 lbs
XXF A S C I N A T E
XXcurious
XXR O M A N C E
◣ XXXXXXXXXXXX ◢

Another sip of the bubbly liquid before the glass was set to the table top with barely a sound. Her soft hums seemed to echo faintly across the table, notes dancing along the delicate cloth as she watched the young prince with icy eyes shielded by warm emotions. Celeste sat, humming, watching, watching as the young man debated internally. He seemed even tenser in her presence. What a shame. Still it was interesting, watching as he tore himself between thoughts and scenarios. Hm. A mood prince then. Probably not Zeke. From what Celeste had heard, Zeke was quite the friendly one. Very well, one of the other three. Celeste was certain she would figure it out in time. It was her job after all.

"If you're here to give me your pity and your company, I don't need it." His voice was rich, despite how soft it was, and it shook with anger like an earthquake waiting to be unleashed. Ah so he thought she knew who he was. That could be helpful, but it wasn't the princess's concern. Right now she just wanted to come to an understanding with the young man. More humming. The tune lilted and fell, finally dying into silence. Celeste took a moment to pick up her glass, sipping at it again before setting it aside and thinking of a reply. Her assumption of the glass being alcoholic had been wrong. It was just bubbly cider, how disappointing. Ah well, still, not her main concern.

How should she respond to such aggressive words? Whilst it was true that Celeste felt a sort of empathy for the prince, there was certainly no way imaginable that she pitied him. Celeste didn't do pity, not for anything or anyone. Shifting in her seat, bright blue eyes tracked the designs of a column perched behind the prince upwards to the ceiling. It was quite an ornate thing to look at. A shame that so few people appreciated ceilings, they were quite wondrous things. They could be painted with such beautiful works of art and they were absolutely everywhere. No no. Stay on track Celeste, the prince, pity, empathy, he thought she knew who he was. Yes...how to reply to such a statement.

When Celeste opened her lips to speak, still watching the delicate ceiling above, her voice was surprisingly husky, like velvet rolling across the waves of the sea. "You don't need my company true, but then again, no one needs anyone else's company ever. Still, company is a nice thing to have isn't it? You can talk to them, or ignore them. You can do all manner of things with company that you can't do alone." If ever there was a stranger princess in all the kingdoms, she had yet to be found. Still, there was truth in what Celeste had said, and, if spoken by anyone with an honest level of respect and a reputation for sanity, it would probably sound quite wise.

Indeed, Celeste was quite a wise creature indeed. Strange no doubt. And probably a little bit loony. But she had never been anything less than polite with most everyone she met, and to accuse her of being crazy would have been a crazy thing to say. Ah no, Celeste was a gentle soul, friendly and willing and kind. She doubted even an angry prince like the one in front of her could change that.