When the limousine containing four Waywards pulls up, Biana keeps her face impassive.
It's a learned skill, really -- diplomacy, and all that. Every twist and turn of her face is deliberate, will be analyzed by the rest of the Lost Cities. She's gone through enough etiquette classes to know that the way to show you don't like someone is not to react at all. It gives the impression that they're below your standards, or something, Biana can't remember. All she knows is that it's a thinly veiled insult, and she is smart enough not to be blatant about insulting her brother's 'guests'.
Her ears hurt, a little -- the marching band is very obnoxious, even without factoring in the animal-themed outfits. Fitz and Dad had tried to convince Biana to design the clothes, upon threat of the full-body costumes, but when she'd refused, Fitz had talked Dad down to only theming the get-up after the Level's animal. If she hadn't been a part of the welcoming committee, Biana would have been dressed up as a Mastadon. In that sense, her current position was certainly the best option, even if she didn't actually want to be here.
The limosene driver, Lady Alexine (and Biana isn't sure how Fitz had managed to convince her to drive the Waywards, but she's grudgingly impressed either way), opens the door to the back, and one by one, each of the Waywards come out.
The first one has blond hair with red streaks, cut to her shoulders. Biana is actually a little in love with the swoop it does over her face. She has to fight the impulse to ask for her hair care routine. And her facial routine. Seriously, she looks like a doll. Biana didn't even know they had that kind of stuff in the NTs. The next Wayward has bleached-blond hair and small braids framing her face, and doesn't so much as spare them a glance before turning to the left side and flitting her eyes over the tower in that direction. Then comes a tall, lanky blonde boy with three backpacks slung over his shoulders and a fourth in his arms, assumedly carrying all of them. Its a shame he's from the Neutral Territories -- he's honestly pretty cute, but Biana has a point to make, and no pretty boys are going to deter her. The last one has freckles and coppery hair, and he covers the rear, apparently, his back towards the, y'know, welcoming committee he was supposed to be facing. Biana isn't bitter. What are you talking about?
Also, what was with them and blondes? Red-dipped blond, strawberry blond, bleach blonde, plain blonde -- did they have no originality in the NTs? At least Red Streaks had something going on for her, but still. Stars above.
"Welcome to the Lost Cities!" Fitz greets, sounding just like the suck-up he is. Red Streaks takes a step back, but stares at him without reservation. "This is the Kingdom of Eternalia, and you're now on the front lawn of Foxfire Preparatory Academy, or Foxfire Prep for short."
"Yes, welcome," Dame Alina breaks through the wall the marching band has made. "We're so thrilled to have you here. If you would kindly turn your faces towards your welcoming committee..."
The sarcasm is glaringly obvious, which probably would have landed her a solid F- in Biana's ettiquitte courses, but it's not as if the Waywards are doing any better in that regard, so Biana doesn't react. Thankfully, Freckles turns to face them, but the entire group takes a few steps back so they're nearly pressed against the limo. At least Blond and Blonder angle themselves slightly in their direction, but they're still scanning the sides. Hello? We're right here??
"My name is Fitz," Her brother introduces, hands clasping together in front of him. Biana wants to be able to say that he picked that habit up from Alvar, but she barely remembers him -- only his press conferences right before his ascension to the throne, and the few moments he'd been able to spare between all the last-minute etiquette classes and Council meetings and all the other royal mumbo-jumbo. As much as she hates it had to come down to Alvar's life, she's still a bit relieved that their parents had learned to scatter responsibilities within their life rather than the few years before the coronation. She's actually gotten to see Fitz around at the dinner table now, two months before his coronation, instead of on some diplomacy trip in Gildingham, because he needs to establish himself as a competent leader to the Goblins or something.
"Prince, soon to be King," Biana adds, eyeing Red Streaks. Something about her is odd, silently dangerous, and Biana wants to make sure that she knows the consequences of messing with him. He's your ticket here, and we have no qualms punting you straight back to the NTs. "I'm Princess Biana, his younger sister." I'm next in line for the throne if you try something, and I won't be so nice.
"...Neat," Freckles says, finally. Biana remains quiet, waiting for their introduction, but they don't say anything.
"We'd like to know your names as well, please," Fitz says, eventually. Can't he just, like, figure it out? DNA match or something? Biana doesn't want to give them the wiggle room to lie.
"Sophie," Red Streaks says, blankly. She points to Freckles, then Blonde, then Blonder: "Dex, Keefe, Marella."
"Thank you," Fitz smiles, charming as ever. It's great to see that his diplomacy lessons paid off, even if it'd be better for him to use them on, you know, actual diplomats instead of misplaced Waywards, but whatever. Biana isn't judging. Much. "It is wonderful to finally meet you."
He goes down the line, spouting nonsense about how this was a "monumentous occasion" where "our two peoples begin to heal", yada yada yada. Biana had heard him practice this exact speech six times over the breakfast table under his breath this morning, and another twelve in the last week. He shakes each of their hands, and when he reaches Blonde -- Keefe, she thinks his name is -- he fucking licks his fingers, and asks "Chocolate?" like he has any clue where the Wayward's grimy theiving hands have been. As Biana had expected, Keefe says nothing, pulling his hands back and staring owlishly at him. Okayyy....
"Or the day you showed for peoples where the bathrooms are," Blonder, Marella, pipes up, sarcasm evident. Yeah, no, pop off girl, it's totally not like you're talking to the only reason your sorry butt got un-Exiled, it's perfectly fine, he's only the future King of Eternalia.
Biana actually might be a little mad. Just a tiny bit. It's not like the Waywards can tell -- she has practice keeping emotions under wraps. Yet again, those etiquette lessons are coming in clutch.
"A little over the top?" Fitz asks, embarrassed.
"More than a little," Sophie gives him a small smile, instantly setting her in Biana's bad books. Too many people tried to get to get Fitz too fall in love with them already -- Biana wasn't going to let little miss Pretty Red Princess seduce her brother into the downfall of her Kingdom. Not on her watch.
And so when they start the tour, Biana discretely asks one of the servants to request that the probe they'd asked for wouldn't show up. She knows her brother -- he'll go straight to the top after that. Besides, she hasn't seen Quinlin around for a while.
biana being a sassy scheming queen >>>>>>>>>
reminder that the NTs are the neutral territories!!
I'm also in love with sophie's little red haired swoop... i wonder why biana likes it........ (casual shout out to the sketch on in my art book, more specifically: the one second to last.)
some alvar lore!!! his plotline is so fun you guys i promise don't worry about it it's not soul crushing angst or anything don't think about it too hard :)))))
next up: fitz's decision to steal the isle kids away to eternalia is explained, the core four argue over the logistics of sophie and marella's hypothetical child and how their mutual girlfriend-at-some-point, linh, fits into it. and also wylie is presumed to have committed suicide.
extras:
Biana: you see this girl? I'm in love with her hair. and her face. and her lips.
Biana: except you see this boy? he's just vaguely cute. he's the one i have a crush on.
Fitz: we need biana to get on board with my plan
alden: okay any ideas?
Fitz: ...what if we threaten her with fashion crimes.
Biana: you aren't going to convince me
alden: great!! i was planning on dressing everyone in their year's animal costume
fitz, sweating: I'll let him dress the students in the full body outfit, don't make me follow through
biana: I'm still not gonna be your designer.
fitz: ...dammit.
Fitz: dad... we're not actually going through with the threat, you know that right???
alden: but whyyy :(((
cya qwerts!!
~nadia
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Alliance -- A KOTLC Descendants AU
FanfictionFor as long as the Neutral Territories have existed, the land it inhabits has been called the Isle of the Lost by it's residents. Home to the infamous rebel groups, the Black Swan and Neverseen, it's a place in shambles and ruins. There is little or...
