Welcome to Gaia! ::

It wasn't surprising to receive rushed letters from Oliver after he learned of Gwendolyn's attendance at Utopia. The soon-to-be queen had kept a close eye on him during her past weeks observing. She found that the adorable bird brain was too absorbed in the presence of a pink harlot to notice the looming presence of his fiance. Tonight, she had to guess this little rendezvous he requested had to do with just that. "A meeting to discuss their situation." The note stated. Laughable. But the electric gift to Ulium could hardly fault the Windurian bird brain. He was always too eager to flee the confines of his metaphorical cage. Seeking freedom from the heavy responsibility of his kingdom and his family and... What did it really matter? Her claws were locked firmly in place as well.

That message is what brought her here; meeting in the hedge maze tonight was her idea. Nice and secluded."No one to hear him scream and cry when he doesn't get his way." A dark giggle rolled from the raven-haired princess as she made a small circle in the pavilion. Golden serpentine eyes scanned her surroundings as she danced to the sound of her golden gears tink-tink-tinking with each step. " Now, Lilith, control yourself. We need that one to be somewhat happy. He is a key pawn, after all."It was a complicated game she played, and Oliver had the perfect bendable spine and breakable spirit that offered no chance of hindering her control over two kingdoms.

Now that they all thought about it, including his pink harlot wouldn't be a horrible idea—someone to distract the prince and entertain the princess. If the duchess was anything like the soft-hearted man caught in Gwendolyn’s snare, it would be easy to inflict some tasteful emotional turmoil. For science, of course. Gwen and her sisters just loved trying to predict the outcome of the wild emotions flowing through other people. And Love Sick was one of the fun ones.

The sharp crackle of leaves in the distance had Gwen pausing. Ears perked to listen for a breath or two. When it came again, a light giggle filtered out of her throat, her body shifting timidly as she stared off toward a figure cutting through the maze."Birdie, Is that you?" She kept her voice airy and innocent, mimicking how Oliver's pink Love-Bug sounded in her overheard conversations. The figure didn't respond, fading into the shadows that crept over the silver light of the moon. "Now, Tweety, this is no time to play cat and mouse."Bellatrix chastised. " Come out Come out, wherever you are.~" Gwendolyn sang.

Still, the silence this raven-haired goddess was met with had her disgustingly sweet smile pressing into a tight line. " Ignoring the queen is a rather distasteful turn. Have we not trained him better than that?" Lilith had a point, but if Gwen rolled her eyes any harder they might fall out. " How many pearls do you girls want to bet this silly goose got himself lost?" Bellatrix started. Oh god's not this...
" Three." Pandora's answer was quick and to the point.
Carmilla sighed lazily in response. " I really don't care for these games... but nine."
" How can he be worth more than thirteen?" Hecate introjected.
" Come on, girls, these are rookie numbers. I expected higher." Bellatrix sounded so disappointed in the quantities offered to her.
Then it was Lilith's voice cutting through the group. "I bet twenty that he'll cry in our presence tonight."
" None at all. Tweety Bird is most likely just taking a fly through the night sky.~ Maybe We'll get lucky, and he'll pop up any second to transform right in front of us. "

Gwen's hand flew up to her eyes as a chorus of groans went off in her head, mixing with the audible one rattling from her lips. Of course, all Jezebel cared about was seeing the prince naked.

This was the worst part of waiting with only her thoughts to entertain her. Rubbing her temples, the flustered beauty decided that while she could agree the bird's feathers had filled out nicely, that pea brain would most likely explode if she ever got him in bed. Swallowing Jezebel's blush with an aggressive shake of her head, Gwen huffed out." A woman's work is never easy is it?" Gathering the silk line of her sleeves, she strode from the confines of her safe haven and into the maze. More than willing to stalk save her clipped companion.

While she prowled, flutters of energy pulsed from Gwen's glowing jewelry, acting as static electricity to keep it flush against her clothing and skin so as not to make any unnecessary noise. Getting a little spook out of her toy would be more fun if she was offered the opportunity. Her amber gaze was well accustomed to the shadows this chilled night provided as she walked. All it lacked was the heavy scent of smoke and iron to make it feel like home in the undercity. Still, her well-adjusted sight made it far too easy to notice a figure through the too-thin leaves of the hedge as she neared its center. If it weren't for the cold breath of winter quickly approaching, she might have never caught the sight of... Well, neither she nor her sisters knew quite how to explain what they were intruding upon. It wasn't their toy bird shivering on the other side, but a different man entirely. He stood tall, confident even, over a void of black ink. Hands outstretched, he reached for the moonlight that drenched him in a glowing pallid light.

"He compliments the darkness well. Like a sickly star all on his own." Go. Away. Jezebel. For once, It seemed all her sisters were in agreement. Shoving Jezebel into the furthest corner of their vessel's mind and locking her behind mental bars.

"Are we intruding on a prayer of sorts?" No, that wasn't quite right either. His hands weren't praising the moon's light but seemed to be reaching toward a break in the sky. Then a sightly gift was bestowed upon the wicked queen as something truly awful fell from the hole, a misshapen ball with frightfully wide eyes drenched in shock.

" How exciting, is that a head?" Bellatrix cooed
Carmilla drawled out. " No that's a ball. "
Bellatrix scoffed in response. " Really Carmella? Who plays ball in the middle of the night?
" In what kingdom does a ball leak like that. " Pandora stated rather matter-of-factly.
Lilith piped in quickly. " Then where is the sound? We've witnessed decapitation before. It sounds far wetter than this."
" So you're going to act like there isn't a pair of eyes on it." It seemed all the sisters were bouncing on Bellatrix's last nerve. Her's weren't the only ones. "It's draining into that inky hole beneath him.." Gwen's input had her distracting sisters falling silent. Their shared excitement glittered through her golden gaze as she observed. They needed her hands on him.

A sharp crack interrupted the show and its eager audience. Fury ignited the jewels clinging to Gwen's clothing at this abrupt ending to the night's entertainment. Who would be stupid enough to make noise at a time like this? " Up my bet to thirty; I think we'll witness the death of our tweety bird tonight." The princess had forgotten entirely about her search for the prince. If it was, in fact, him the pallid man was striding towards, then Lilith's bet was entirely on the table. That would not do at all; sharing was not her strong suit.

Sparks of electricity aided Gwen in burning a hole through the thicket. Stepping into the clearing with a confident stride that could make the earth rumble. " My sincerest apologies for intruding on your.-""Ball game." Carmilla attempted to interject but Bellatrix got there first. " Little ritual." She finished, forcing an innocent smile into finding home on her lips. The soon-to-be queen's arms fell to lace her fingers behind her back; her jewelry singing its praise on her stride to the space where the blackened void on the ground once stood. Gwendolyn's amber gaze sparked an avaricious hue as she lifted her gaze to inspect her newest toy. How pleasing it was to see not a drop of red tainted his silken blouse, an obvious attestation to how familiar that violent little show must have been to. And quite dangerous company he seemed to be indeed, even with the cool smile that painted his features. This witch knew all too well. "Though, It seems you've misplaced a key piece. Do you require assistance in finding it?"

Fear was something she and her sisters lacked in the presence of such exciting trinkets. Still, trained fingers began their busy work of collecting the small gears and jewels lining her sleeves and waist, prepping a small weapon in case this pallid party turned his bag of glittering tricks on her.


OOC: I left it open to Oliver being the one who drew Balims attention, or- he simply stumbles upon everything~

Speaking: #E56717thinking





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” New acquaintance? I didn’t know you kept such interesting company.” Doe-wide eyes fawned over their lover with utmost worry. The ulium princess cared ‘oh so muh’ about her ornament and his well-being. The bitter flavor coating the back of Gwendolyn’s tongue hinted at Oliver's swirling anxiety, the rapid slam of his heartbeat echoing out from his ribcage, singing it from the rooftops.

Thump- thump “This. bird.” Thump-thump “Is. Scared” Thump-thump “Absolutely. Shitless. Thump-thump

“ How amusing.” Drawled Hecate, who materialized long enough to rake her clawed fingers along the fluttering pulse of Oliver's sweat-shimmering throat. It was a wonder to Gwen how the potent flavor of fear could taste so bitter and unappealing to other humans. She imagined that if she could produce a flavor for the sensation, it would zing and fizzle on her tongue like the most potent drug in the undercity. The type that would simmer in her belly, then eat her from the inside out—unleashing the most intoxicatingly faral part of her brain. Ah. Wouldn't it be addictive?

That was the sensation she sought from her newest toy. Gwendolyn’s eyes narrowed into a siren's gaze that fell over her newest companion, craving ownership over him. She could still see the vision of his cold hands masterfully cradling the deadened skull with a mundane expression settling over his features. His fear had to be rare. What did it taste like? Would it be chalky and bitter like Oliver's? Or would his taste be how she imagined it to be? “Don’t be silly, you know I only allow the interesting ones in my company.” She corrected, with an innocent tease.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance this evening. You're gilded friend is quite adept." The ease with which her new juggling knick-knack spoke had a wry smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Well played, it told him. Expertly dangling his recognition in the air as though it were a lure for her to grapple onto. To pine over the theories on what he found her so adept at. So he was an appealing and observant toy. Someone who might be able to match her stride in this dance. What fun.

“Please, you go first.”

Lilith practically purred against Gwendolyn’s ear. While she was sure it was unintentional, her little ornament had managed to corner the man exactly where she wanted him. “Good boy, Tweedy.” Lilith's presence hummed through her core, alight with pride in Oliver's role and the sharp accusatory glance it gained her from the juggler.

​"Balim, may the stars light our meeting and path."

A star worshiper? The sixteen possible districts he could belong to in her undercity crumbled away to expose a measly two. So fitting, the monarch thought. Another murderer hailing from Sahiti or Luna, some of the highest bidders in her undercity. Already, her sisters were off, filtering through the catalog of information they kept organized within the never-ending catacombs of her mind. If he’d ever stepped foot in her undercity, she would have recorded somewhere.

For now, Gwendolyn dressed Balim in a soft smile, taking his hand without hesitation. Her vitality slipped beneath the pads of his fingers the moment they touched, and a cooling sensation fell over her tongue, brisk and confident. Not the slightest bit of edge to his emotions. He had not an ounce of fear.

Before Balim could release her, Gwendolyn lifted their joined hands to hover her knuckles just below his lips. If he were to look at her now, her eyebrow would raise expectantly. He wasn’t about to fault her ornament for his lack of manners if Balims were just as poor? And she just needed a few seconds of contact longer to form some hypothesis.

“May Haza bless this encounter.” She finally mused with the same bullshit sacrilegious undertones. Plucking the useless funkazan goddess's name from the confines of her memory. Gwendolyn didn’t know, nor did she care, what the goddess represented in Funkazan culture. It was more fun to lay out false breadcrumbs for Balim to chase.

It seemed, though, that a more pressing matter was gnawing away at Balim's attention. His concern for Oliver's state was shown so genuinely she might have believed he cared for her little birdy~ How kind.

"You seem to be quite excited, are you all right?"

Gwendolyn slipped seamlessly into the same motherly theatrics. “He’s right, Oliver, you do seem to be under a bit of duress. What’s going on?” Just what had the tweedy bird seen that frightened him so much? They were about to find out. Would the Windura prince choose fight or flight in this devilish scenario? Come one, come all, everyone, place your bets on how Oliver would curate his following statement.

Would he –

A) Call Balim out for his dangerous, disgusting sideshow?
Or –
B) Pretend he saw absolutely nothing, and blame the contents of his empty stomach on a strange bug going around.

And how would Balim the moonlight killer twist the response? Gwendolyn couldn’t wait to see how this would play out.


OOC: I hope this is enough!