The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
Her eyes kept darting around, taking in subtle clues between party-goers. Her eyes roaming over familiar faces and yet it was always Fred that her eyes returned to. Especially when he was speaking, apologizing to her and explaining her rarely missed these events. Her brows tugged, just slightly, as she studied him with those dark eyes of hers. “What kind of party is this exactly?” She asked, glancing as the energy in the room seemed to shift.
While she didn’t turn a deep red, her gaze dropped to her hands as she ran them along her thighs. “I feel as if Ben left out an important detail for me,” she murmured softly and as someone brushed against her, trying to pass her but certainly not excusing themselves as they slipped past her with a hand that glided along her lower back, she stepped closer to Fred with slightly wide eyes, to anyone else it would just appear she was making it known she picked him. But he’d see the slight unsure look in her eyes. Being at a Chaudhari event was very different… she had ultimate control there. And she usually kept all away and retired early before much happened.
But as she tucked her chin, swallowed her nerves, lifted her head with that usual Chaudhari confidence and glanced around, “so who are you spending the evening with? Or do you… find a new partner every time?” As if Veda herself was going to fall easily into her usual spot, playing wing-woman for Fred.
Fred could see the way Veda was putting together the pieces as she looked around. “Leave it to Ben to keep things…surprising,” he said with a sigh. “Ben and Ellison like to throw these parties every so often and made a tradition to do it every year after the festival. They invite the more…open minded folks they know for a night of, well, debauchery?” It was the best way he could think to describe it without being more direct.
As the person brushed past her and Veda clearly moved away with a look of discomfort, Fred instantly felt protective over her and moved to shift his position so she was more out of the way from anyone’s reach, placing herself between her and the room. “I have no specific plans for the evening. If you would like to explore then I can offer my suggestions on who might be a good fit if you like,” he briefly glanced over to Ellison to see her engaging with someone else and was glad for that. “Otherwise, I’d rather stay by your side,” he admitted, gaze locking on his partner once again. “Or we could just leave together…”
In that moment, Veda regretted never talking honestly with @frederick about this. No matter the rumors (some true) about her family, or her constant tease to him that a happy witch was a strong one, it was his suggestion to help her explore options that had her heart sputtering wildly. Suddenly this party seemed to shift a dynamic between them that she had never thought would happen. Veda had always been his wing-woman. Yet here he was, offering to help her select someone for herself…
Her lips parted, but he went on. He rather stay with her, or they could leave. Leaving would mean she’d be denying him… whoever. Her eyes glanced at the passing duo— no that was a trio, her eyes caught their hands and then turned back to Fred. “You do not need to leave because of me,” so she reached for another passing drink and she palmed it as if it would steady her nerves. “But I would very much rather you be at my side.” The admission hit her like a curse straight to her chest and instead of trying to recover the words, she downed the drink and moved so her arm brushed his.
“But perhaps some guidance or rules or… tips would be appreciated.”
Fred feared staying in that moment. He realized if they stayed, regardless of what happened, that it was almost impossible that their dynamic together would not change. How it would change he couldn't say but unless they left now, things wouldn't stay the same. He knew that deep in his gut and he was afraid of it. It was far more comfortable to stay with what was familiar rather than risking an unknown future. He almost said as much, almost insisted once more that they leave, but he'd already tried to keep @veda from coming here and perhaps now was the time to let go of the fear of the unknown and just see what came of it.
It was both a relief and a bit unnerving when she said she did actually want him to stay with her. How would it feel to watch as someone else undressed her, to see her bare flesh, to see another give her pleasure. He couldn't even begin to guess what that would be like or how he would feel about it. Still, he was committed to her, to his partner, and the idea of leaving her on her own felt even worse. He wanted to stay with her too.
He felt her arm brush his all too keenly, the contact being even more of a focus in this kind of environment. Again, that urge to protect her came over him, to wrap his arms around her and physically keep her from anyone here. Not that he had a reason. He knew most of these people and they were all considerate and good people. No one here was any actual threat and he knew he had no reason to feel like she needed any sort of protection. The fingers of his arm that she was brushing against flexed, resisting the urge to reach out further to take her hand or touch her.
With pinkened cheeks he cleared his throat as he began to offer her what she asked for. "Communication and consent are the norms here. No one will do anything with you, not even a kiss or an intimate touch, unless they confirm with you that's it's okay. Just because we're all here for the same reason doesn't mean that anyone has free reign with anyone else. It's okay to say no and it's understood that no offense will be taken if that's the case. Everyone has different preferences on how they choose to engage and what they like. So, if someone approaches you then it's up to you to decide to engage or not and if you decide to approach someone else, they will expect the same grace and courtesy of the option to say yes or no."
Last Edit: Jan 18, 2024 14:48:59 GMT -5 by Deleted
It was a lot to take in. The whole entirety of it, and the thought that all she had to do was say yes and this could be her firsts… she trained herself to remain stoic almost. Watching the others as people were picked off in one’s, pairs, groups…
Her face heated as she stood beside @frederick and she realized as a two different eyes ran over her and her partner… lingering on the latter… she was absolutely ruining his night. They assumed a pick had been made and— “Fred,” she turned to him, eyes slightly wide as she downed her drink and set it aside. Could she actually… her heart raced and instead of leaning into this opportunity, she felt herself turn red and speak. “Who would you pick?” Well… that was not what she thought she was going to say.
Last Edit: Jan 20, 2024 10:49:13 GMT -5 by Deleted
There had been a moment he thought @veda might say something else. He could have sworn he felt some sort of...something between them, but the moment was suddenly gone and Fred wondered if he had just imagined it due to where they were currently. The briefest look of disappointment crossed over his face at her question but he pulled his gaze to look around the room in hopes she hadn't noticed.
"Well, would you prefer a man or a woman?" he asked, finding himself more curious about her answer than he would have thought. He realized for the first time that he he didn't know about her preferences. In Nevermere most people pretended to be straight even if they weren't, but he had never thought for a moment that Veda might have similar interests as Ellison had. He was almost ashamed he had never asked her before, in all their time together.
The question wasn’t one that she had never heard before. “A pleased witch is a strong witch.” She said it almost immediately in response to him. Which made no sense in the context he asked the question and it only caused her face to turn a deep red. What was wrong with her? She turned, arms crossing her chest as if that would help her get a grip on herself as she tried to not think about which of the others were waiting for their chance to be with @frederick. She couldn’t blame them… look at him…
“I don’t know Fred,” she tried to recover. Except her tongue had been loosened by the alcohol and she continued on, “I’ve never kissed anyone, let alone tried anything that—“ her face grew pale. Realizing what she had just admitted. Especially when she for so long had lead Fred to believe the opposite. Because it was abnormal in her family. “I will leave you to enjoy your night. Thank Ben for me,” she took hold of her dress, and made for the first set of doors she saw. Which would not lead her out of the house, but rather, to the balcony out back.
Fred might not have known every detail of what her family was like but he knew enough to put together that they weren't exactly shy about intimacy. Fred had always assumed that Veda was the same way so when she admitted she had never even kissed someone before, to say he was surprised was an understatement.
She then walked away so abruptly that he stood there in stunned silence for a moment before he hurried after her.