ｐｒｏｐｈｅｃｙ ｏｆ ｈｏｐｅ.ｃｌｏｓｅｄ

[EmpressMage]

princess//castle//open

The eldest with eyes that cannot see....

"Hello?" Euphrasie called out. Around her stretched a vast emptiness the length and breadth of which she could not fathom. Panic rose hot and thick in her throat; she was far from the castle she had spent her entire life. She was suddenly and painfully aware of her blindness in a way she had not been since she was old enough to understand how her lack of sight had stripped her entire future from her. Without sight, how was she ever to get back home? How could she even know that her next step wouldn't send her hurtling into an abyss?

Shall lead the way through misery....

Clenching her eyes shut as if that would somehow help her--it certainly didn't change the blackness that was her view of her surroundings-- she carefully and deliberately took a step forward.

And the world around her shivered.

lead the way...

She fell to her knees as the ground beneath her flickered between stone and forest floor;the very air seemed charged with something dangerous as she took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart

lead the way....

Was the voice getting closer, or just louder? she couldn't tell.

L E A D

Euphrasie sat bolt upright in bed, a silent scream on her lips.

[CorvusSchnee]

The same dream over and over again as of late. All the young man had ever known was the sea, all he had eve wanted was the freedom it gave him. Freedom from society's rules and regulations, from the judgmental eyes that cast their gaze when his back was turned. But now those same people were treating him like a king, raising him up on a pedestal surrounded by gold. Gold, the one thing he needed to make all his desires come true. But it wasn't enough....no, it wasn't what he seemed to want in the dream. Freedom had to be bought in this world, and the richest men were always the ones that got to enjoy that luxury the most. If they did something wrong.....bribery was simple if you had enough money. So why wasn't it enough? Why did it not feel fulfilling to be surrounded by such wealth? The only answer the young man ever got sounded like it was part of a poem. "The second, a man of adventure and pleasure, must resist the temptation of his most precious treasure."

Every time he heard that, Craft awoke with a start. now was no different, though it helped that he was jostled awake by the movement of the cart he had been riding in. It wasn't often that the man of the sea needed to go to the capital, but it was almost always for the same reason. Make that the same paying customer, the owner of a bookstore who paid him for rare books he found n his voyages. These books.....they had certainly been a find if he did say so himself. All about the fey, creatures more powerful than any human could imagine. That power was something even Craft feared. He was a gambling man, but even he knew there were some bets you just didn't take. So the young man would most certainly never with those creatures, not even if it ever came to business. Let those sleeping lions lie where they were as Craft moved by through life.

It wasn't long before the cart pulled up to the bookstore, the horses coming to a stop with the shout of their driver, a man Craft often hired for this exact job. Most others wouldn't mess with someone that possessed his reputation in Esterwich for fear they might be transporting....incorrectly appropriated items. It was strange, today, as there were guards stationed in front of the doors. Not just city guards, either, but royal guards. Oh, this was not going to be a good day at all. "Morning, gents. I've some business with the owner of this fine establishment, so pay me no heed. I'll be out in no time, so don't you worry your little minds." He swiftly moved past the guards with a bundle of books slung over his shoulders, not even waiting for them to realize he had just insulted them. Oh, they'd be angry, but what could they do? Throw him in jail for insulting someone? They'd best be ready to start arresting a lot of other people, then. Sharp-tongued individuals were in abundance in his opinion, though there should certainly be more around.

[rogue,]

♕ ．ＪＥＫＡＬＹＮ ＡＳＩＡＬＩxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx( ❝ the smart ❞ )xx( ❝ location; isolde market // tags; craft ❞ )

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Jekalyn's royal guards seemed none too pleased with the manner of the self-made pirate, and the one with the sword that bore a snake-shaped pommel growled. He moved closer to the door. "Watch your tongue, boy, if you wish to keep it." Though of course, they held no jurisdiction over insults and could not prosecute him for that. It didn't stop them keeping a close eye on Craft as he swept through the doors, however. They soon straightened and glanced towards the princess, should she require assistance. Craft had irked them, and they looked to be on high alert.

The door burst open, and with it, someone whom appeared more used to the sea than walking on dry land. The sudden ding of the bell caused her to glance around, expecting the guards to haul her away from the precious books. When she was met with a grinning individual, Jekalyn quirked a brow, and let her eyes evaluate him. A merchant or a trader, she assumed, probably in from the local port. The first thing that caught her sparkling eye, was the obvious bundle of rectangular objects stowed away -- books, naturally. But this wasn't the usual delivery man, no, he delivered books in an open crate! What was this man doing with them slung over his shoulder? Did he not care for literature? Or the more compelling option; did he have something to hide?

It immediately sparked the quiet Jekalyn's interests. Why conceal the covers if they were the usual shipments of novels? It didn't take long for Jekalyn to draw the conclusion that these were of the more... forbidden nature. The princess' lips curled back in a smile, and she started to calculate the odds that these were the rare books she desperately sought after; books containing scriptures about the Fey. To perhaps gain the answers to her pressing questions, well, it was an opportunity she wasn't going to miss out on.

Tentatively and somewhat timidly, Jekalyn intercepted Craft by gently tapping his shoulder, "Your price?" she queried in a soft voice, straight to the point. "How much for those books?" there was a defiant gleam in her otherwise calm, foam-green eyes. Clearly not wanting to draw the shop owner's attention, Jekalyn tried to navigate him towards the corner of the store; where they could negotiate away from prying eyes.

[BigBlueEyes]

The Beauty > Location: Castle Garden > Tags: No One >

xxxxxMorrigan had always been a morning person, though the reason for that was because her mother would wake her up at unreasonable hours, even before dawn, for her training. The beauty walked through the endless garden that spanned the entire length of the right side of the castle. Oh what to do, what to do, she pondered as her delicate fingers ran over flower petals. Glancing toward the forest as she heard footsteps and the rustling of trees. Her one thought was of her sister Caiohme, Morrigan recalled how often she would see her older sister slip off into the forest when the brunette was conducting her practices and knew that Caiohme should have been doing them too. Giving a little shrug as the vegetation went back to it's normal 'not rustling' existence she resumed her admiration of the vibrant flowers to her left and to her right.
xxxxxAlthough the flowers were in full bloom they still felt sad and closed off. After everything that had happened it seemed justified for the flowers hesitant demeanor. She would never have told anyone, but most of the flowers she had planted and nurtured herself. On late nights or early mornings she would dress in working pants and a blouse then get dirty in the garden as she planted and watered the many species of flowers. Yes, she was a princess and had over heard her mother saying how proud she was of Morrigan, but the brunette didn't want to be perfect all the time so she did the one thing that had interested her ever since she was a babe, flowers. Walking through the garden now she noted how there were no butterflies around and it made her sad, ever since the Fey King had appeared the world was angry and her butterflies had just disappeared. Sighing as she came to the end of the garden and a stone bench the youngest princess sunk down onto it, her beautiful white dress flowing down in front of her as she flattened it and looked around for company.

[hxneystorm]

Zყʅҽɳ Jσʂԋυα Cʅαყƚσɳ
The Third Brother, The Scholar
'Next a man with many words to write, by journey's end must learn to fight...'
Male • No Crush • Twenty-Four • Tags: ??? • Location: Isolated Bookstore

Waking up was never a chore for Zylen. Always waking up from his dreamless sleep fully rested, at 6:15am precisely. He never complained about having to get up, as he knew it would do nothing. Waking just meant that he will have another day to live through. The young male always seemed to be reading or writing, and of course, would eventually run out of books to read.
Earlier this morning, he had made a final check on his book supplies in his personal library, decked with palm-thick chapter books, some hundreds of years old, and had made the decision to buy some more, and to explore for any new bookstores within a day's journey anywhere around...

Biting his lip, the young male ran his thin fingers though his soft, jet black hair and looked at all the books crammed into the small, isolated bookstore about 7 miles from his home. The walls were end to end covered in books, of all shapes and sizes, some had tumbled into the wooden birch floor beneath him. The walls were made of stone, with little circular Windows dotting the walls. He reached in his near-empty satchel for his wallet, sticking it in his mouth, clenching it with his teeth as he reached out and grabbed a large book, bigger than his own head. It wasn't as heavy as it had seemed, but it was still a very decent weighted book.
Holding the book in his arms, he reached out and grabbed another three, before wondering over to the other side of the shop and grabbing two more. The weight was making his thin arms shake, but he couldn't put the books in his satchel as it would look like he was stealing them. He managed to stumble over to the register and plonked the books down with a thump, letting a cloud of dust fly into the air. Zylen coughed loudly, waving the dust out his eyes. "Hello? I have some books I would like to purchase!" he called out, ringing the bell.

No response.

[dorkasaurus]

FENRISÚLFR HAYWARD - THE HUNTER
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xxxxx(gender; cismale)xxx(age; 24)xxx(n. names; fenrir, feni, fen)xxx(mood; neutral, curious)xxx(location; forest)xxx(tagged; caoimhe)

dreams were something strange to fenrisúlfr hayward. if he happened to have one, he would wake up with only the sensation of being whisked away to some fantasy world. he never remembered them. perhaps it was not that he lacked the ability to recall them, but that he chose to forget them. dreams were whimsical and figments of whatever little imagination he had. for fen, reality was the only thing to hang onto. yet, now, he found himself having the same dream over and over again, forcing him to pull it from the dark recesses of him mind and ponder about it. when he was out in the woods as he normally was with lyuka padding quietly at his side, he found himself lost in thought to the point where he'd forget where he set a trap and walk right past it.

that morning, fenrir had woken up early, about an hour or two before dawn's rosy light shone over the horizon. even if he wanted to sleep longer, his body would not allow it. he was one with nature in the sense that his body clock fell in time with the world around him. if it was dark, he was easily lulled to sleep. if it was lightly, he would be awake with the wildlife. dressed in dark clothing with sleeves and pant legs long enough to cover most of his skin (to prevent ticks and flees from getting to him of course), the huntsman hiked his way to the forest, meeting lyuka at the edge before they continued on together, man and wolf like one entity. although she could have, lyuka rarely strayed into town with fen, for they both knew that her appearance would cause a stir in the village. nobody would know that she was a creature of intelligence and not one to go on a mad rampage, biting everyone in sight.

a bow across his back and a variety at knives hanging at his side, fenrisúlfr was prepared to take down whatever animal he could manage to find. despite being fairly talented with his skills as a hunter, he always had a strange sensation as to whether the animal before him should be killed for his own profit or not. it was as if mother nature herself would whisper her verdict to him, giving him permission to take one of her children to help him lead a decent enough life. he needed at least a bit of money to pay for taxes and occasionally groceries the forest was lacking of. sometimes his cramped hut demanded some money invested in her for repairs, too. at times, fen considered living in the forest full time, but he doubted that it would be an easy thing to do during the colder months when food was scarce enough for the woodland animals. he didn't want to deprive them of whatever they could scavenge themselves.

"i had that same dream again, lyuka. the one about being in total darkness with that strange voice talking to me. i'm startin' to wonder if it means something..." feni muttered, glancing down at the she-wolf with his deep, sapphire gaze. she met his gaze steadily with her own light hazel eyes, flicking her ears lightly in response. as if she had spoken to him, fenrir snorted and nodded, "you're right. that's ridiculous. maybe i should get some herb mix or something that might make them -" the man cut himself off as lyuka froze in her tracks, lean body stiffening slightly as her ears swiveled around. stopping, too, fenrir followed her gaze and noted a head of blonde locks through a thicket of thin trees. recognizing the familiar figure, fen, as silently as his wolf companion, stalked over behind the young woman. it was none other than one of the asiali princess sisters, caoimhe. she just happened to be his favorite likely do to the fact that he had encountered her more than once his home territory. though, he hadn't talked much if at all with the other sisters, so his favoritism wasn't quite fair.

as he came near her, fenrir purposefully kicked up some leaves so as not to catch the princess of by complete surprise. he came to crouch beside her at the pitiful stream trickling at their feet, staring down at it for a few heartbeats with his fingers folded together before saying, "good morning, milady caoimhe," a small smile flickered across the brunet's lips. "how strange to see you around this early. in fact, the deer are probably still around feeding," he commented, stroking his chin and feeling the course stubble of beard underneath his fingers. it wasn't quite enough that he desperately needed a shave, but he could certainly take the time to scrape it away and look a little less wild. lyuka let out a small yawn and took the liberty of squashing herself between fenrisúlfr and caoimhe, stretching her legs and paws out as she did so. fen let out a small chuckle and scratched and pulled at the wolf's ears affectionately. "i don't expect some simpleminded commoner to understand what could possibly trouble a royal, but you certainly seem to have a lot going on in your mind, caoimhe," fen observed, his intense blue eyes sliding over to look at the blonde. he never pushed anyone to speak, but he said his words in a manner that invited the young woman to talk to him if she wished. even though he may never understand what went through a princess's mind, he made a fine listener and even offer a little advice. if he could anyway.

[EmpressMage]

princess//castle//open//

"And there you go, Cosette!" the maid said brightly, tugging sharply one on the dress to make sure it hung properly on Euphrasie's frame. "Why look at you, little 'Sette, snug as a June bug and twice as cute!" She exclaimed, stepping back to admire her work.

"What color is it?" Euphrasie asked softly. She could hear the maid hesitate, and had to fight not to hate her for it. She had asked this question every single day since she was old enough to form the words; why did she still pause as if surprised the princess hadn't given up on it already? She had every intention of asking this question every day for the rest of her life. Although, she considered, perhaps it would be prudent to get a second opinion every once in a while. Perhaps if she asked enough people she would eventually find one who didn't pause before answering.

"It's a lovely shade of sapphire, 'Sette." The maid finally said. Euphrasie nodded her thanks and swept out of the room before the woman could sputter about finding a valet to lead her around. She hurried down the hallway, one hand on the wall and the other holding her skirt, not sure where she wanted to end up but unwilling to stop and figure it out.

[BigBlueEyes]

The Beauty > Location: A Hallway in the Castle > Tags: Euphrasie >

xxxxxMorrigan lifted herself from the cement bench with carvings of angels and flowers on the sides. Brushing her rump of any dirt or debris that had collected during her brief sit. Looking around the two-color-eyed girl let out a bored sigh before she made her way back across the length of the garden and to the wooden door that lead into the castle. There was only this one door to go in and to leave the garden, it was nice since someone could always know if they were alone or not simply by watching that door. Pulling on the door handle Morrigan stepped inside, using her free hand to pull her dress up a bit as to not step on it. Shutting the door softly behind her the brunette made her way through the dark room.
xxxxxMaybe the layout should be explained as to understand why many people hardly visited the garden. From the kitchen you had to walk through the storage room and then make your way to the back and simply by doing that someone could get lost if they didn't know what to look for. There is a door that a lot of people forget about and most of the time there are crates in front of it so you have to move them. When you open the forgotten door you're greeted by a long flight of old wooden stairs that go down into a very dark room. Anyone would be wary about walking into the darkness. If someone perhaps decided to go down the stairs they would find that the room really isn't that scary, it's just dimly lit. When Morrigan stumbled upon the room she had figured it had been used for storage at some point, it explained all the oddities anyway. Once in the room you had to make a left then head to the back where the door to the garden was. Whenever she visited the village she would always giggle when she heard people talking about the 'mysterious garden' at the castle. The garden was a safe place for Morrigan, a place only her sisters and a few others who had found it knew about.
xxxxxWalking up to the bottom of the stairs Morrigan lifted her white dress once more and made the ascent. Pushing the door open, the woman was glad no one had walked by and moved the crates back in front of the door. Coming out into the storage room she shut the door and pushed the crates back into place then let her dress go. The woman then quickly exited the storage room and kitchen and into the hall. Sighing in boredom she ran her hand against the wall as she walked, wanting something exciting to happen or maybe someone to talk to. Where is everyone? She thought, absentminded of her surroundings. Suddenly she ran into someone and stumbled back. Recovering she shook her head and looked to see what she had run into her. Her eyes widened as she saw it was her oldest sister, Euphrasie. "Euphrasie!" She squeaked and quickly moved forward to see if her sister was alright. "Oh are you alright? I'm so sorry," she apologized, hoping she hadn't hurt Euphrasie. Morrigan loved all her sisters dearly, but Euphrasie was probably the one sister she got along with the most since the older girl was so easy to talk to. Morrigan had always been teased a little by her sisters, even if they had just intended for their jests to be playful, since she wasn't the most intelligent. Euphrasie though had always pushed her to learn more and Euphrasie helped her with her studies. Plus she was really sweet.

[CorvusSchnee]

Oh, Craft would be lying if he said that he wasn't tempted by the thought of selling the books to someone who was no doubt a noble(it was in the way she held herself that hinted towards that). However, for all his shortcomings, Craft truly was a man of business. That meant he'd have to keep his bargain with the store owner placed above his own wants to keep that business venture safe and secure. "I apologize, but I am a man of business. I have business with the owner of the establishment, meaning that I am expected to uphold my word when I give it. And I gave my word that I would continue to sell him any rare books I might come across during my travels. These books are not for sale, milady. Not until he puts them up on the shelf....if he ever does that with these particular books. You could promise me 100 gold pieces a book, and I would stand firm. I do apologize, but you must understand this in your best interest. Books like these should not be read. They should be kept safe, but not read."

His 'business' with the woman conducted, Craft carried his bundle to the counter and pulled the owner into the back to speak away from prying ears and eyes. Shady business, that's what one might call it. But shady business could sometimes be held for a very good reason. Not often when it came to Craft, but it did happen. "Remember, ten silver pieces a book. Just like always. I'd take the price up with what I had to go through to get these, but we have an understanding. And since you're one of my best customers in these parts, I'll uphold that agreement to the letter." It didn't take long for the two to come back from their business, though there was now a distinct lack of books in the possession of either men.

"Fare the well, milady. Do take care not to tread on dangerous ground." That was what Craft had to say as he left the bookstore, purse filled with enough money to get him a good night on the town. His men would expect him in a few weeks, ready to sail with the new cargo they had going onto their ship. Another adventure would await them, another voyage on the sea. Another period of freedom from the laws of the land. But tonight, tonight was Craft's night to relax and enjoy the company of others. Not the royal sort, but certainly the common sort. They seemed more free in the end. It was ironic. The more control one had, the less freedom they could enjoy. The less control they had, the more freedom they could enjoy. Yes, Craft was content with the lot he had in life. Money was all that mattered, not control. Well, money and a good woman. Not on a ship, though. Bad luck to have a woman on a ship.

[cherubim]

иιɛт ωσ∂ɛи
《location;; at the castle》 《tags;; zuzana》《mood;; stoic/neutral》

Standing before the large castle, Niet had every right to feel rather intimated by the building. Of course, he may have been in awe, but that didn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He glanced around, gaze searching for others, but came across nothing but luscious land. The brunette muttered something akin to 'why here of all places?' under his breath, and stood tall, watching his General come towards him. "Niet," he greeted, to which the soldier nodded in a greeting. The General seemed not to care, as he paced around Niet, seeking any faults in his posture, if any. Of course, there were none, and the General stood back, rather impressed, and somewhat proud. "You will do well, soldier. Do not forget your purpose." the old male appraised, clapping Niet on the shoulder, to which the young male flinched in response. He never like physical contact.
As soon as the General cleared off, Niet huffed in annoyance. Yes, he respected his higher-up, but that didn't mean that he had to like him. He was too talkative, too expectant. Niet was sure that even if you gave him the world, the General would just ask for more. The brunette chuckled at the though, his low, husky laugh echoing in the empty courtyard. However, as soon as he caught himself laughing, he silenced himself, remembering the intellectual words his father gave him; 'Do not ever show emotion on the job. It will leave you open, vulnerable. You can and will be attacked off guard." The thought ran through his head on repeat, never allowing him to break the unspoken promise between him and his father. He would be brave, successful solider, with no flaws, no emotional attachment to anything.

In his peripheral visiom, his eyes caught sight of a slim, long haired female, dressed up in what Niet thought was training gear. A smirk threatened to tug at his lips as he thought; 'at least this generation has hope.' Quickly brushing the thought aside, he turned to great the woman, recognising her as a princess. He bowed, and stood straight once more, not saying a word. It was an unspoken 'hello', as well as a sign of respect.