she shed her jacket and really all composure entirely as soon as she stepped out into the night air. being cooped up in there, being polite and completely unable to elbow her brother in the ribs whenever he said something stupid had made her exhausted and in desperate need of a break. she'd finally managed to sneak away and walked a few paces away from the light of the door before she began feeling around in her pocket and then her purse. nothing. because both were too fucking small for a pack of cigarettes and tessa was pretty sure someone on her team had gone through both to make sure neither was in there before she left. that didn't surprise her at all, but it certainly made her roll her eyes, a quiet mumbled "fuck" slipping from between her lips. she resigned herself to waiting until she got to the comforts of her hotel balcony and moved further out onto the patio. it was only when she fished her phone out from the side pocket of her purse, which was more trouble than it was really worth, and let the screen light up the area did she realize she wasn't alone outside. "have you always been out here?" she questioned, squinting to make out the figure who'd likely watched the whole embarrassing scene.

STARTER CALL | starter for @razorfst / prince mattias lupei *

@shivcomplex sent ❛ it's a bad idea, right? ❜

they'd gone out for a drink together and found a nice little outdoor bar backed up against what seemed to be some kind of party with a dj and dance floor. it was most definetly tessa's scene, but she swore up and down she hadn't arranged this. it had taken a while for them both to warm up to the idea, but liquid courage did it's job. surprisingly shiv was the first to mention dancing, but she was hesitant. tessa looked over at her friend, and shook her head. "not a bad idea at all." she slid her half finished drink over to shiv, "finish this if you still need a little encouragement, and then we're going to go dance." she didn't phrase it like it was an option because it wasn't, the dj was playing a song she knew they both liked.

@kcrclrezni sent "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

"well, pleasant to see you too, nikolai." tessa set her cigarette in the ash tray on the bar and turned around to look at him as he walked to the seat next to her. "the least you could do is say hello before you tell me all your worldly problems." not that she minded at all, she was more than willing to be an ear, or to come up with something better for them both to do than mope. not that she was moping, and she really couldn't tell if he was either, but that sounded like it might be in the cards if they got into it long enough. "what's it this time?" she asked, eyebrow raising as he finally sat down and she caught his gaze.

map of cadonia just dropped! i'm gonna keep making it better, i'm not a super great artist but i'm trying my best.

i'm gonna keep naming towns and cities as i go and update the map when i do.

@cosmicjest sent do you consider us friends? / from jenny

"yes, of course," tessa assured her, wrapping her arm around the other woman's shoulder. they'd met while she was abroad, traveling after graduating from uni. she hadn't stuck around all that long, but she kept in touch with jenny nonetheless. "is something the matter, j?" brows creased as she wondered whether that slight lilt in jenny's voice indicated more than potential insecurity in her position in tessa's life.

THE PRINCES AND PRINCESSES OF CADONIA

PRINCE NICOLAS DELACROIX : eldest son, set to inherit the throne

PRINCESS TESSA DELACROIX : eldest daughter

PRINCE HUGO DELECROIX : youngest son

PRINCESS CELIA DELECROIX : youngest daughter

mutuals may interact, do not reblog

— open starter

muse : princess tessa delacroix (28+, bi, princess of cadonia second in line for the throne) verse : main plot : our muses met while tessa wasn't on official royal duties. she never brought up that she's a princess, but your muse knew/knows. your muse is in the business corporate world (to whatever degree mun decides). they've taken to mixing business with pleasure.

the phone rang, the office phone, and tessa met her partner's eyes, silently asking for their permission. when she got it, she picked it up and spoke "hello, this is their secretary." she fought back a moan as she continued to speak, "my boss can't come to the phone right now, but you're free to call back later." she knew better than to hang up the phone until she had her partner's permission to do so. her eyes had been on them the entire time, and now she waited again, waiting for the nod that she could hang up and they could proceed hopefully uninterrupted.

HOW DO STRANGERS PERCEIVE YOU?

— they say sharks never stop moving

paint-stained skin. spontaneity. leaving an amusement park with a won stuffed animal bigger than you. messy hair and dancing in the kitchen. you have the soul of an artist. you're creative and your mind never really stops working. your best feature is probably your sense of style. you feel things very intensely, and may feel a lack of emotional permanence. you have a restless energy. you are always growing, always improving, always adapting. you may feel a lack of a sense of identity, but you don't have to know who you are all at once. you can find yourself in new ways every day.

tagged by : @impulsivitytm tagging : @fyrewalks (bob), @razorfst , @athayos (oc of your choice) + VIEWERS LIKE YOU!

which of my muses have gone to the met gala because I CARE!

livia cabot-carlson: went more than once, was invited multiple times

heidi bergmann: went once, got arrested <3

clary stark: went once cause she's a nepo baby

savannah hayes: went as a guest once, hosted the carpet twice

princess tessa: has gone twice, was invited three times

honorable mention:

vivian kellman: wants to go SO BAD

she'd been out of the country long enough, having gone abroad for fashion week and visit with some friends from university afterwards. tessa had a routine for mornings when she'd just arrived home and today would be no different.

she dressed and headed into town from her house on the water. as much as she would have loved to be alone, her security trailed close behind her. breakfast was looking to be more like lunch as she'd gotten up late, but that was no matter. the streets were bustling already, and the summer sun reminded her a day on the beach might be in the cards. she reached her destination, a coffee shop just off the brigitta's main road. she ordered, aware of the whispers spreading of her presence despite her sunglasses. honestly, she thought it would probably be much less of a to do without her body guard's presence, but that was non negotiable. tessa played nice with those who greeted her, though the lack of caffeine made the pleasantries more of a chore than it needed to be. she was glad when what she thought was her order was called out and she went to grab it. only someone else got there first and reached for the paper cup. "i think you've got my drink," she commented probably a little more sharply than was called for.

STARTER CALL | starter for @itsbuck / buck*