Ruby enjoyed the trek across to the house. It wasn’t an easy one, but it also wasn’t so long or arduous that they were entirely spent by the time they made it to their destination. The first time Ruby had been here there hadn’t been much time to explore. The second time, even less. But now they had as much time as they allowed themselves. The growing storm made the canopy of evergreens overhead shift and sway, their heavy boughs blocking out what was left of the waning sun. Ruby could smell rain close by. She could also smell the decay of decades of neglect that surrounded the glass house like a cloud.
Ruby moved up beside Dani, eyes traveling over the arching glass panels that rose up into the overgrowth. “Especially in this town,” she commented idly. Looks certainly could be deceiving. Moving along the edge, Ruby looked for an entrance. Or at least a missing panel of glass that might let them slip inside unscathed. Her fingers ran over the stained surface much as Dani’s had done. “Experiments,” Ruby said to herself. The place was so old it was hard to smell anything over the mildew and the overtaking of the forest. “What would you research? If it was you? Building this place?” She glanced back at Dani, her expression curious.
As Ruby began to wander along the side of the structure, Dani paused and watched her, at the same time musing over her queries. What experiments would they run? So many possibilities... "This place..? Well, it's secluded. Surrounded by nature. Difficult to reach. So, it would have to be fairly self-sufficient. I wouldn't want to have to be retrieving fresh materials all the time. But there are plentiful natural resources and water nearby."
"I could be doing skeletal research. Or something taphonomic. Rates of decomposition under different environmental circumstances. It's unlikely I'd have humanoid subjects unless I had enough passion to hunt down the occasional hiker," a mischievous sort of smirk to themself flashed on their lips as they shrugged. "But with the abundance of squirrels and other smaller woodland fauna, I think I'd be fine without. The results would just have to be calibrated to represent human processes as closely as possible."
"Most normal people don't like dead things. It would make sense to keep them so removed like this. Though, it seems a bit too pretty a place to be that sort of laboratory." Stepping slowly towards Ruby, Dani's golden eyes swept over the building beside her before studying the woman herself. They weren't entirely sure what level of morbidity the she-wolf was comfortable with. Hopefully, they hadn't overstepped any bounds.
"And you?" The professor tilted their head in wonder. "Any inspirations for raising a secret forest escape?"
What is more important to you: being liked or being right?
“I wouldn’t say one is more important than the other. It’s always nice to be liked, but in certain cases, being right might take precedence. In an academic context, for example-- if you’re defending your work or correcting someone else’s point, being right is pretty crucial, especially if you’re at a conference.
If I can, I want to be honest. But in a risky situation, getting someone to like you can save you a lot of grief. Aside from those instances, I’m not closed off to correction or the perspectives of others. I may not always be right and I am willing to be corrected if that’s the case. Will I lie about things I know to be true to make my friends and family like me? About 98% of the time, no. Rest assured, that remaining 02% is never to be harmfully deceptive.”
“ I'm not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours. ”
dani savin-floros: gender identity & sexuality
-- - Dani uses they/them pronouns; their gender is classified as nonbinary; and they are pansexual. They are the spouse of Sam Floros-Savin in an open marriage (for now). They are a child or daughter, a sibling or sister, a doctor of archaeology, a professor and a witch who’s spellbound and in the closet about their realized species. Aside from their family and a handful of others, that is.
Dani never really questioned their gender or sexuality. Biologically, they are of the female sex, which they recognize, but have not ascribed to -- even from a young age. They lived with she/her pronouns and allowed themself to be identified by their biological sex by others as a child simply because they didn’t know any better. As far as they were concerned, those feminine terms were just words. They knew who they were. That was what mattered. It wasn’t until university that they discovered the gender and pronouns that truly fit them. From thereon, explaining and establishing this new vocabulary with others allowed those in their life to understand their past opinions and behavior that may have confused them previously. These individuals adapted to Dani’s rightful identity and they have openly shared it since.
In short, Dani’s vision of what it means to be nonbinary is vividly imbued with freedom and fluidity. The physical characteristics they possess have no influence on their lifestyle and choices. Feminine? Androgynous? Masculine? A hot combo? Why not? What they wear, their hobbies, who they sleep with, etc. are purely determined through their conscious thoughts; and their pansexuality is an extension of this. Dani is interested in people. Gender is irrelevant to them when it comes to sexual and romantic partners -- in all of their relationships, honestly. Who you are is what they’re looking for and they hope their own person is awarded equal consideration by everyone they meet.
Not at All Familiar || Dani and Aedan
‘Mhm, maybe. There is a lot of dancing in my blood. Even if it doesn’t affect the magic itself, it does make it all feel a lot more special.’ Aedan picked up his bag and looped it over his shoulder, flask still in hand. ‘But yeah, we’re not always naked.’ Always being the key word. ‘Some rituals call for being as bare as the day we were born.’
He followed Dani out to the overgrown courtyard and locked up the building. ‘Well, I want a dog that needs someone. So a dog home would be best.’ Ideally, he saw the dog he would get being a large one most were intimidated to own. One that would find it hard to get chosen. Aedan had no children and no other pets. He had all the space in the world and plenty of time to invest in the dog. And with his connection to the spirits and nature, he knew he would be the best bet for the ‘lost causes’.
‘My car’s there.’ He waved towards a tarp covered rust black truck parked alongside his pristine motorcycle. When he pulled the plastic away, the truck was revealed to be a little unloved. The space where a sticker lived was discoloured. The one on the other side revealed that the missing one had once said, ‘Corann and Sons’.
‘Sorry about the wee smell. Uh- The smell. It’s not a smell of wee, I mean.’ Aedan puffed out his cheeks as he opened the cab door for them.
"Not always." Dani raised a brow, grinning airily to themself. "Interesting." They found themself musing over the subject as they often did when presented with new facts. It was the professor in them, unable to shut off their curious mind. "Are those instances common with naturally-attuned rituals? I'm just wondering. It would make sense, wouldn't it? If you're interacting with the magic of nature itself or channeling another magical energy into it, being as raw as you're able would establish a intimate connection and the magic would be more potent."
"My husband's an earth witch and I remember the first summer solstice while we were dating, his magic was just radiant. The plants in his shop were practically leaning towards him like magnets. It was growing stronger throughout the day, and as soon as he realized, he cancelled all of my plans for the rest of day so he could drag me into the woods and--" Dani stopped themself with a short laugh before they shared more of the memory than was perhaps necessary. "I think you get the point.”
They were more than happy to refocus on their prime objective. A soft smile turned their lips to hear what sort of canine Aedan was looking for. Belonging was an issue that haunted the core of Dani's being. It warmed their heart whenever someone was willing to care for those who were lost. "You have perfect taste, Aedan," they spoke sincerely, almost as though they were thanking him. "There's an animal rescue on north of the skids we could go to? It's probably your best bet for what you're looking for."
The young professor wanted to take time to check out the druid's bike, but they didn't want to hold them up any longer. After a lingering glance, their golden gaze darted to the rusting truck. They had seen worse. Chuckling as he opened the door, they said, "You don't have to apologize. I'm an archaeologist who specializes in the dead and bones. Modern homicide consulting included. Even if it was the smell of wee," they slid into the seat and their white-furred creature squeezed in to curl up on their feet. "I wouldn't be bothered."
Reconnect || Tuah & Dani
Tuah gave Dani a small chuckle, moving his shoulders in a shrug. “Perhaps if that were the case that it’d more useful than simply ruminating over everything, even the most frivolous.” It was a jab to himself that he was happy to make, admitting that the worried easily and most especially when it came to those that he cared about. Though he never did know how to tackle the issue without being seen as overly protective, controlling even. His other option of standing at the sideline seemed to be of the better option most of the time, letting them know that he was there if they needed someone to rely on. It seemed to be the right choice with Dani, of that he was thankful.
He smiled when Dani seemed more than ready to help him with the errand, glad that he was able to provide what little distraction that Dani needed. “Come on, I’ll explain further once we get to my car, hm.” Tuah lead them to the convertible Chevrolet. Once they were inside, he pulled out a plain file from the compartment and gave it to Dani. Inside had a few pictures, one of the male humanoid – tanned skin, dark hair styled mohawk fade haircut and a goatee, his eyes obscured from black sunglasses. The atronach looked like he was in his 30s, though it was hard to guess from the pictures.
“Name’s Dave, if my informants are to be relied on.” There was another picture, this one a little blurred, when the man in the midst of shapeshifting into his atronach form, and another clearer picture of him in full atronach form. There was also a picture of the spoken ruby in a silky padded jewellery box, about a palm-sized. “I’m told that the ruby holds some kind of magical property, though my grandsire didn’t elaborate further. Simply to ask me to retrieve it for her.” By any means necessary, he didn’t bother to mention. “I admit I haven’t had many dealing with the atronachs, so I’m unsure what they’re capable of.”
Once settled in Tuah's car, Dani leaned back and flipped through the folder they had been handed. Only pictures. They sighed. A decent few photos could be useful, but they would have liked to have some records or other documentation to provide a bit of context. "Dave, huh? Seems like a fire atronach to me." Their golden eyes scrutinized the details of the figure captured in the photographs. His style wasn't far from that of many Dani had dealt with in their former occupation. There was an edginess to him that resonated with them. However, a combination of mohawks, sunglasses, and firey powers didn't necessarily indicate character. They would just have to consider the possibility. "May I ask who these informants of yours are? What all can you tell me about them?"
After seeing the infamous ruby, the professor's perspective on the mission shifted. What they first expected to be largely artifact tracking they now worried might have a darker, more dangerous, criminal nature. Nothing they weren't used to, but they always exercised caution nonetheless -- especially working with a friend. "You're lucky you asked me to join you, then," Dani shot the vampire a grin with a mischievous glint in their eye. "Magical items are right up my alley."
"Atronachs aren't people you want to provoke into a fight. Let's leave it at that. If Dave here has information on the whereabouts of this ruby -- or even better, has it -- the smartest course of action would be to broker a deal with him."
"Speaking of--" though not sure exactly where Tuah was headed, Dani had to suggest a quick detour, "do you think we could make a quick stop at my loft? You know- the one in Pyewacket? If we're going to be dealing with the underground side of town, I probably won't be much help dressed like a scrappy professor."
How often do you get tired of The Straights?
“Eh... It depends. I don’t like to judge people as a collective group if I can help it. Everyone has their own prejudices and issues and should be dealt with on a case to case basis. That being said... I do tend to get tired with them at times. Usually during Pride or when a fit starts being thrown over some other event or political issue all over the news.
I’m not a big fan of politics. It gives me headaches. Sam, on the other hand, can get invested and passionate about them from time to time. He’s very liberal and strong-minded and while I love him to death, the state that The Straights can put him into occasionally results in me spending a bit less of my day at home for the sake of my own sanity.”
Is there a subcategory you identify with? Butch, Femme, etc?
“My identity regarding both gender and sexuality is relatively fluid, so I don’t identify with any particular subcategories. Day to day, how I choose to express myself can be markedly different. Because of that, fitting into any set category or persona would simply be impossible for me.
But, I suppose I could have been labeled as a ‘tomboy’ as a kid, before I knew a nonbinary gender even existed.”
Miguel
Send my muse a name and they will answer “Yes or No” to the following – @bumblingbrujo
Is Miguel Someone You:• Would Kiss: Yes• Would Date: No• Would Make Friends With: Yes • Would Adopt: No• Would Marry: No• Would Sleep With: No• Would Live With: No• Would Cuddle With: Yes?• Would Fight Beside: Yes• Would Trust: Yes??• Would Dance With: Yes• Would Bathe With: No• Would Die For: No• Would Ignore: No• Would Not Care For: No• Would Laugh At: No• Would Cry With: Yes• Would Cry For: Yes
Sam
Send my muse a name and they will answer “Yes or No” to the following – @samuel-floros
Is Sam Someone You:• Would Kiss: Yes• Would Date: Yes• Would Make Friends With: Yes • Would Adopt: No• Would Marry: Yes• Would Sleep With: Yes• Would Live With: Yes• Would Cuddle With: Yes• Would Fight Beside: Yes• Would Trust: Yes• Would Dance With: Yes• Would Bathe With: Yes• Would Die For: Yes• Would Ignore: No• Would Not Care For: No• Would Laugh At: Yes• Would Cry With: Yes• Would Cry For: Yes
Send my muse a name and they will answer “Yes or No” to the following.
Is (Name) Someone You: • Would Kiss: • Would Date: • Would Make Friends With: • Would Adopt: • Would Marry: • Would Sleep With: • Would Live With: • Would Cuddle With: • Would Fight Beside: • Would Trust: • Would Dance With: • Would Bathe With: • Would Die For: • Would Ignore: • Would Not Care For: • Would Laugh At: • Would Cry With: • Would Cry For:
dani savin vehicle headcanon: no. 002
» 1973 Jeep CJ-5 -- The second of Dani’s everyday vehicles duo. This 46-year-old beauty has seen its fair share of rough roads and mud splatter. Dani has a soft spot for battered old junk and this ride wasn’t in the best of shape when they first picked it out at the age of seventeen. But, with the help of their father and the local mechanics, they got him back in road-worthy condition in no time. Hapy is one of the Four Sons of Horus and thus a protector god in Ancient Egyptian religion -- and also the name Dani has bestowed upon this vehicle. Of course, it gets mistaken for “Happy” 98% of the time. That’s okay, though. The identity of a non-sentient jeep isn’t exactly a pertinent matter. Hapy requires some unexpected maintenance every now and then. In most cases, Dani will handle those repairs themself. Their father made sure they learned at least the basics of dealing with automobile troubles, so this one’s in good hands.
In 1944, the World War II military jeep was modified into the CJ -- "civilian jeep." They are small, open-bodied, off-road vehicles that have had a long history of success in the utility automobile industry. Dani loves the bit of history that’s attached to their ride. It gives Hapy character, so they don't feel quite too odd holding one-sided conversations with an aged body of metal. Hapy is a bit more tan than the orange pictured above. There are two front seats and a removable bench seat behind them, as well as a small trunk. Though preferably topless, Dani does have a soft top cover that includes doors for cold and rainy weather. Hapy has a standard AM/FM radio, air conditioning, and a basic cassette, single CD, and auxiliary cord capable speaker system. It's nothing special, but they'd go insane on longer drives without some music to keep their head straight. They trusted him to get them safely to their wedding on time and he didn’t fail them. For this rickety old machine, there is truly no equivalent.
dani savin vehicle headcanon: no. 001
» 2019 Maserati GranTurismo MC – The upscale option of Dani’s two everyday vehicles of choice. They’ve customized practically every available detail from the matte black exterior with that single dashing metallic strip on the hood to the purple stitching and carbon fiber alterations – interior for appeal and exterior for aerodynamics. They can be protective over their bikes, for sure; but it’s messing with this beauty that’d really get you in trouble. It’s one of the few items of luxury they’ll allow themself to flaunt. They may affectionately refer to it as “Nazgûl.”
The MC is a legal Italian super-sport street car inspired by the MY13, which is, unfortunately, fashioned as much more of a race car. As badly as they’d like one, an MY13 simply isn’t meant for their daily needs. The MC is the perfect compromise. They’ve just gotten a trade-in recently from their 2015 model to embrace all of the changes going on in their life and are prepared to show it off to anyone who asks.
technical specifications – acceleration (0-62 mph): 4.7 sec – max speed: 187 mph – displacement: 4.7 L – max torque: 384 ft lb – max power: 460 HP – engine layout: V8 – engine audio: listen here
voia este în tine || carrington & dani
“Perhaps memory will serve then,” he commented. “If anything in this bloody time capsule proves useful.” The last was muttered mostly to himself, as it would be his luck to not find anything useful after so much time and effort was put in. But as it so happened, the most useful thing in the room turned out not to be one of the dust-covered grimoires or faded, chain-covered spell-books, but the diminutive professor that had provided Carrington entrance to the chamber in the first place.
Funny ol’ world, ain’t it?
And Carrington had not forgotten about his own dilemma, but as had always been his nature, he was drawn to the strange and the inexplicable. Especially as this particular strangeness mirrored his own. In a way. So he circled Dani, his storm colored eyes observing them as if whatever magic had bound them in it’s web would show itself simply because of his scrutiny. There was… something there. Or perhaps Carrington was only imagining it. But Dani moved away and Carrington let them go.
He turned to watch them, but stayed where he was, content to give them space as he crossed his arms and gathered his thoughts. At least Dani was aware it seemed, of the magnitude of such a spell. Though as they told him Faye was the one to have figured it out in the first place, Carrington’s eyes flicked towards them, and a moment later he made a small sound that meant ‘of course she did.’ Faye would know all about that, wouldn’t she? Considering.
Carrington had taken a step towards Dani as he asked his questions. But an answer came faster than he anticipated, and gave him pause. A mirror. His expression tightened slightly as Dani used the word ‘looking glass’ the second time, as they started to describe what it was they saw. “Curioser and curioser,” he said quietly, but remained still as Dani continued.
Cycling through what he knew of the symbolism of such things, and the potential dangers, Carrington finally broke the silence that followed with another question. “When you look through the glass, what else do you see?” He moved towards them again, speaking softly. “Does the looking glass reside in one particular place? Like a room or a corridor?”
He perched against the desk opposite, arms still crossed over his chest, as Dani attempted to answer his other question. “Lovel,” he repeated. “Something about that seems familiar.” But he couldn’t place the name just yet. A long finger rubbed across his lip, and his eyes rose to meet Dani’s as they spoke of the grimoire. It was a sound theory, and not one Carrington would try and refute. But there was always another possible explanation. Another way of looking at things. “Or perhaps the spell-binding is starting to wear off? And that allowed you to sense the book in the first place?”
Though he frowned as Dani mentioned the Lovels being driven from town. After binding their infant daughter’s magic. A year ago, Carrington wouldn’t have had any perspective at all when it came to what a parent might do for a child. But now that he’d been allowed into the circle of Eowyn’s life, allowed to get to know her, and been accepted by her without question, Carrington had an inkling. He was also starting to realize what leaving such things behind would mean. And it was nothing he cared to dwell on. Though it seemed as if he had no choice in the matter.
“So the Lovel’s spellbound their only child - most likely to the detriment of themselves and/or their coven - and when they were forced from their home - a place that claims to be protected - they didn’t take that child with them? They just… left you on Savin’s doorstep?” Carrington didn’t know much about the relationship between the vampire and his eldest child, other than he’d taken them in. It wasn’t his business, of course, but a few more details might help. Though a thought did strike him quite suddenly.
“Did you ever think that maybe… you weren’t spellbound because the Lovel’s were already in danger… but they put themselves in danger because they bound you? Such an ancient line of magic would likely have it’s own rules. It’s own law. Perhaps your parents knew they’d be breaking a covenant by doing such a thing to a child. They knew they’d be run out. And leaving you with someone like Savin - wealthy, powerful, influential… immortal - had always been part of the plan?” It was merely a theory, like most of their conversation to this point, but Carrington was not one to believe in coincidence.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Dani breathed a low chuckle. “You’re really taking the night’s theme of literature to heart, aren’t you?” They glanced at him from the corner of their eye. A small tease in the midst of the heavy subject couldn’t hurt.
As they concentrated on Carrington’s new questions, their vision tipped downward and the lids fell over their eyes. The young Savin was well aware of the significance of dreams, but they had never stopped to consider theirs. Not for this issue. Maybe because they didn’t know which questions to ask. Or maybe because they were wary of what they might discover. “I know where it is.”
“The bedroom where I found the grimoire. It’s dark and it’s dead quiet -- except for the mirror.” In revisiting their thoughts, the mirror seemed to be the looking glass and vice versa. “I can hear things-- but they’re muffled, like I’m trying to listen from underwater. And yet, I can see clearly enough. There’s just no color to any of it.”
Dani paused for a few moments before they continued. “It’s not repetitive. Not usually. It’ll be bits and pieces of whatever I’ve done or seen throughout the day. Shards of memories that aren’t mine -- around the grimoire and that house. And there’s a man I catch glimpses of a lot- separately. I’ve met him once before, when I was younger... I have a feeling I might know who he is, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions.”
When their eyes snapped open again and their head lifted, they sighed. “I’m not surprised. You’re not the first witch to say so. As old as they are, I imagine they have to have some known bit of history out there.” The ex-necromancer’s alternative theory perfectly fit the professor’s thoughts. They leaned back where they sat, nodding. “You’re right -- but not singularly. As with most problems, I believe it’s multicausal. I was drawn to the grimoire well before we opened it. Whoever cast the binding might not have intended it to be permanent. It was meant to wear off; magically busting the book open just gave it an extra little jump start.”
As he continued, it quickly became apparent that Dani hadn’t offered a very clear explanation of the scenario. Regardless, they waited for him to finish to apply their correction. “No, actually-- I should have been more specific.” Their arms uncrossed so one hand could scratch behind their neck. “When the Lovels fled town, my grandmother was only about seventeen years old. There’s not many records to say what happened to the lot of them after that, but I would think it more likely that they scattered. Made themselves harder to find,” Dani sighed. “She settled in Boston and died when my father was a kid. The official death certificate says breast cancer, but with all of this supernatural drama, part of me has to wonder whether that was truly the case,” they glanced up at him and shrugged.
“My father moved out to Utah when he married my mother, so I was born there. Two years later, they had to move to Washington for one of his Navy assignments. But one day, they told the rest of the family they were going up to Seattle on a sailing trip and whatever happened, they were forced to shore and made the perfect target for a rogue vampire. I was below deck. The vampire found me afterwards and apparently felt guilty. It just happened that he had previously sought out Dad’s help. He brought me here to Soapberry because he didn’t know where else to go and I’m sure you can understand what happened from thereon.”
“Granted--” rubbing their arm thoughtfully, the professor tilted their head, “this is all largely hearsay. Stories I’ve been told by people who don’t know any differently. But, both suggest they may have been fleeing something. Hell, maybe they were trying to get to Soapberry for sanctuary even though his mother’s coven had been run out. The one fact regarding Dad that does throw me off... his Romanian heritage. The Lovel coven has ancient origins in that country, as well as roots in the Romani people that came through in later years. They weren’t always stable; they traveled, but the language stayed with them. Faye tried multiple different languages trying to unlock that grimoire -- Latin, French, English -- but it wouldn’t respond until I tried Romanian. I find that very curious.”
@bumblingbrujo -- oh look, a fantasy au song for dani & miguel #oops
You've got it all, But you've got it all wrong. You don't know you're a poor unfortunate soul. Oh I know, You make it seem that you feel whole, So they don't know you're a poor unfortunate soul.
You put on a faith facade, Think you're holy when you're not. I hate to break it to you baby, But you're simply lost. You can right all the wrongs just to feel you belong, But simply calling out sins don't bring you closer to God.
There's no way that there's weight in the words that you preach, When you're claiming your faith and you contradict your speech. So I sit here and listen to your tongue and cheek, I know that when you sit and pray you're only praying for keeps.
Cause you're a ghost at most, A set of empty bones, Searching for anything and everything to make you feel whole, When it gets cold.
You don't know. No you don't know. You're all alone, You poor unfortunate soul. You can't control where your body let's you go. You're all alone, You poor unfortunate soul.
You're shallow and empty and filled with regret. I think that chest must be heavy from that cross on your neck you only wear 'cause you're weary of what comes next after you're death. Don't think I didn't notice.
-- - Prince Miguel invites Lord Danian to join him for an adventure on the town following the funeral of the High Raj. Mischief leads to mead, and amid the night’s darkness, intimate secrets come to light. In the morning, Prince Iann delivers some sudden news that may complicate the impending conviction of the inquisition.
warning: this gets pure and soft af. jo and lori will confirm. emotions will most likely be stirred.