They say that we are nothing more than a reflection of our collective sins. Or perhaps we’re simply a fleshy vessel between the worlds that invigor life and encourage death... When I was a child, I believed in the Gods that sang their holy hymnals from unseen ivory thrones in the sky above. But, as age emboldened me, I became that which bordered the cleft between right and wrong - an enigma to some, a prayer to others, and still the mournful bales of those yet unlucky enough to defy me. I had been wrought in the flames of confidence, forged for battle, and wasted upon the complacency of a life I’d sworn to either forget or avenge. The decision remained a wound still weeping from a heart that had been warped by the scars and tissue of past hurts. However, I had stitched and wrapped those lesions into an unwieldy resolve that could not be shaken from the inside out. Let Hell’s wrath rain down. Let the ethereal fires consume me. I had become a weapon thrust up from the bowels of the earth itself. May the destruction devour me.
---
Twilight had slowly fallen over the land like a heavy blanket, quieting daytime’s hectic bustling until all that remained were the soft sounds of all the moon’s children. When worship became too much of a burden, I often looked to the wide face of the nocturnal Queen as a familiar relic in the sky between the waking hours of judgement and oversight. However, the rush of newness spread quickly from head to toe as I glanced along the horizon to find the twinkling stare of all the moon’s disciples. They looked on like sparkling sentinels of the night, their curious eyes shining against the deep auburn notes of a hide painted solely by my Mother too many lifetimes ago. If she still wandered the hills that rolled beyond sight, I could never be certain, but my promises to find her remained, even if time kept me a slave to normalcy and routine.
I had managed to find my way to Novus on a whim. If it were somehow a roll between luck or fate, I couldn’t tell, but as I wound my way through the soft valleys of the Sideralis Prairie, I found myself at ease. I had wandered enough throughout my short life to know that one simply did not voyage the world alone, but I had become wholly (and perhaps unhealthily) accustomed. I could not recall a time in which I required conversation, attention… or affection. Those notions of livelihood just didn’t fit with the way that I had been reared. Love was a foreign concept and friendship was much the same. I fought for valiancy and honor, but nothing else. Yet, I still found the near-constant tension of my existence draining as I pondered the sheer wonder of the starlight above. I’d never seen anything like it… and it was likely that this time would be one of the last.
The heat of the day had slicked my skin with moisture from the humidity and my braids hung haphazardly down both my neck and haunches. It had been some time since I’d fretted over their cleanliness and the heavy flaxen weight of them only made for a sorry picture. I was certain I walked the line between stylishly unkempt and just outright sodden. However, it seemed to be something of an afterthought when it came to bedding down for the night. At least I’d gotten a good chance to embrace my new ‘temporary’ home before having to face its inhabitants in such an unruly state. These creature comforts were eventually required after all. I was still bred with an equine nature, unfortunately, and I valued the nourishment of life enmasse. I still longed for the comforts of residing in numbers and of working within a hierarchy… even if I believed I was best made for the top of one. I could settle and I could adhere to the guidance of a creature meant to be beneath my heel if custom required. However, that didn’t mean that I was a total fan. Instead, I was simply a conformist. Surely the Night Court would value their subjects cooked, but not well-done.
As I meandered once more between the velvet valleys of night, I imagined what life would have looked like for me if I had been born here... if I had been born a child of the Night Court instead of a child of Bastion. Would my mother still be in my life or would I still find myself looking up at the same sky imagining a different future? Sometimes, I wish I didn’t even have to ask myself.
----------
Playlist: And so it Begins - Klerg Six Feet Under - Billie Eilish Salem’s Secret - Peter Gundry In the Woods Somewhere - Hozier
i'm going home, gonna load my shotgun
wait by the door and light a cigarette
if he wants a fight, well, now he's got one
Time had escaped from her when she wasn't looking.
Perhaps that was the punishment for keeping one's self busy? Or perhaps it was just another passing day, another day in what would amount to an infinite lifetime. Another day of her being alive and still wading her way through life, while the reasons she had once lived now reside 8 feet under. Caelum had made so much progress to move on prior to her return to her home, her place of origin. But since venturing there and back, the old wounds has reopened. What she thought had been healed was really just stitched together and then covered by an obscure memory of something unrelated. It left those wounds raw, gaping, and painful now that each stitch had been ripped out, and she was picking up the piece.
Thankfully, she didn't have to pick them up alone.
Luvena understood more than most, and for that fact, Caelum was grateful to the fellow medic who she would consider a friend. And of course, Coyotl was a close friend of hers from childhood - and refused to let her wallow when he could help. But other times, Caelum knew she just needed to be alone . . . She wasn't sure when that had migrated into a life of border-line solitude however. Even her tea shop, despite her advertising about it was out in the middle of no where, off of the distant shores of vitreus lake. A home that doubled as a shop that served teas and pastries, as well as a collection of medicinal rememedies that had been carefully manufactured by herself.
As a medical supplier, her preference had always been brewing the medicine.
She had become antisocial after the loss of Calico, and her beloved little baby; and the idea of actually treating others was as unsatisfactory as the idea of forming deep bonds with others. What a foolish beast she was. The fae steed was supposed to rule over her race, but with the destruction of her people, her home, her family, she'd ran away. She'd hidden in Denocte where no one knew who she was, what her story was, and she kept hiding. She kept living in the shadows, a shade of the radiant princess she had been in her youth.
Deep down, she knew it was foolish.
But it felt so much safer, and she was tired of hiding and trying to escape those memories, the past that continued to repeat. How long was she expected to form close relations only for them to be ripped from her violently when she foolishly thought she could finally be happy. She did worry over her cynical distance in which she had begun to view her life, however, and it made her worry about what her life might have next in store for her. Going down in history as a no name? A basic tea shop owner that was the extra in everyone else's story? She had immortality in front of her, but was her story already over?
She took in a steadying breath.
Eyes closed, she held it as she counted to five before releasing it. She needed to stop letting herself sink into these thoughts. Instead, the mare took off through the sky, delicate wings beating easily, keeping her aloof as fairy dust trailed behind her. It was rare moments like this that could still produce the smile she held in her youth - wind rushing through ivory locks, as the blue roan dived through the air, twirling as if dancing with the wind itself. It was always more peaceful as night came in, the moon rising above, shining with a cool warmth that promised to hide your secrets.
She had to keep herself from laughing.
She caught a breeze, and she allowed herself to drift, angling towards the ground, landing with a few steps as she stretched out, glancing around at the quiet prairie, about to dismiss it as unexciting when an unfamiliar figure caught her attention. THere was a hesitancy that came from age, but she approached when she caught the scent of Denocte on the stranger, so it was a member of her court (although, she would be the first to admit to knowing very few in Denocte, too focused on building up her teashop.
Her approach was cautious.
She couldn't deny herself caution, she'd seen how quick an individual could flip, but how else was she going to make a living if she kept hiding away and no one knew her, knew of her shop? So instead, her voice carried over the distance, polite and cultured, betraying a privileged up bringing for those who recognize the tone, "Hello. I apologize if I am intruding. I do not believe we have met." The words delicately drifted through the air, her tone light, breezy; "My name is Caelum." Simple enough, polite, but to the point. And if he wasn't the talkative type, it'd give an easy way for him to walk out of the conversation with a mere good bye. Offering conversation with out demanding it be upheld.
"Speech" Thoughts
@Boleyn Notes: Hope you don't mind me jumping in ;)
and he ain't seen me crazy yet
he slapped my face and he shook me like a ragdoll
don't that sound like a real man?
Summer was a torturous season in which heat robbed you of sanity. Were I a patient creature, I may have tolerated travel at sundown, but I was by no means a tolerant man. Thus, I had taken a more practical approach in seeking refuge well past day’s suffocating glare. Fuck the sun. Damn the stifling heat. It could all go to Hell.
I hadn’t often been accosted when it came to my sheer size and bulk, but it did play a contributing factor in my hatred for the middle-months. I often leaned toward the direction of “spiteful-bastard-of-very-few-words” during periods of elevated temperature, despite my luke-warm attempts at playing nice. In fact, many preferred to avoid me based on my attitude alone. I didn’t enjoy jokes, didn’t indulge in pastimes, and kept a fairly strict regime when it came to duty. Somehow I had been bound to the damn word, a worshipper of the Word and Law of the Gods, though I believed it more likely to be interpreted by the dimwitted half of the population than by anyone of merit. I could ruminate on the topic at large, but I wasn’t one to be swayed by opinions or even fact. My thoughts were my own and that was, unfortunately, that. If you desired a “no holds barred” kind of conversation, I was your man.
Or maybe I wasn’t.
As I’d grown into my skin, assuredness became the one thing a warrior such as myself was taught to embody. However, I wasn’t certain if I was quite so much “self-assured” as “overtly indifferent”, but at least I’d managed to survive the trials it took to call myself a soldier. I even took pride in the title despite my Royal upbringing. I wasn’t sure how notoriety worked in Novus, but I figured it was as clean a slate as any… at least for now. Perhaps that was the one thing I’d learned to cling to as my childish desperation morphed into adult determination. It was also why I’d been able to sense the cautious energy cloying around me like a bitter cloud. Anticipation was the only warning I got before she arrived.
--
I’d seen plenty of blooms in my life - Jasmine, Birds of Paradise, Hibiscus, you name it. However, I’d never seen anything quite like her. A creature more flower than equus blew in on the westerly breeze, her iridescent appendages fluttering between shades of color under the moonlight. I wasn’t often acquainted with her species previously, being that they were not a popular breed in the Kingdom, but the fascination remained. Blossoms weren’t meant to fly, but this one looked all too comfortable with the sky even if she didn’t appear to be so comfortable with me. Clearly she hadn’t been informed that I’d signed up to protect her and that was obviously a problem. Blooms shouldn’t be wandering the grounds at night and approaching odd strangers. I narrowed my eyes at her as she grew close enough to see directly and to... smell.
A sweet flower indeed.
“I would hope not Caelum, considering this is the first I’ve laid eyes on the place.” I chastised while staring at the blossom of a mare. Flowers were made to be beautiful, but all too fragile. They wilted easily and shone too brightly. Perhaps that was why I’d always considered myself a weed… a killer of all things dazzling and delicate. It wasn’t a matter of faith when it came to creatures such as she, but a matter of will. Something I somehow believed she lacked. Maybe it was stolen away from her or maybe it was simply given... Either way, I was glad that I’d agreed to serve her short-term as protector and warrior. It could have been anyone she’d stumbled upon (not that I considered myself a better option), but the lands could have been breached couldn’t they? She could have been killed… couldn’t she?
“Do you often make a habit of approaching strangers in the middle of the night or is that just your kink?” I questioned almost absently as I glanced around our surroundings, calculating the landscape and various hills and trees. I hadn’t been long in the Night Court and I wasn’t sure my loyalties were apparent, but Caelum seemed to believe I was a non-threat. Didn’t she have an escort of some kind or was that not a custom here in Novus? Perhaps I had a lot to learn. “The names’ Boleyn. Might want to remember it. I’m a new Solider recruit for your Night Court. Looks like you could use one.” I groused when my full gaze was angled back at her. She had some deep brown eyes that seemed to carry the innocence of a child, which only made me more adamant that she respect my wishes for her safety. Was there something I was missing when I’d been inducted for the job? I mean, what the Hell was this place operating on, hopes and dreams? They sure as fuck didn’t keep the demons from coming to play - I knew that more than anyone. Maybe it was time Caelum knew too.
---------
Playlist:
Dark Side - [SEBELL]
Man or a Monster - Sam Tinnesz, Zayde Wolf
Even if it Hurts - Sam Tinnesz
See Through Heart - [SEBELL]
OOC: Sorry, I switched my font back to the original table for this one. Also, just bear with me as I'm figuring him out, it's a nightmare.. XD I Love Cal. <3
i'm going home, gonna load my shotgun
wait by the door and light a cigarette
if he wants a fight, well, now he's got one
She wasn't a social being among the court.
She didn't intend to ostracize herself from her court, but time could get away from you when you are working on building a dream, and that was truly what she was doing. A place of safety, where she could aid others with medicines and still be able to share new tea recipes and be able to provide something for her Court, her new home, a place that was starting to feel more like home than her beloved Primulan City. It was a painful thought, but it was true. At some point, Denocte had become so incredibly important to the former Fae Queen.
So of course she would be curious of an unfamiliar face.
She approached carefully, however, looking over the being with a curiousness, though she tilted her head at his response. Her muzzle twisted into an amused smile, and she graciously dipped her head in acknowledgment, "Ah, I do suppose that would make sense. You must be fairly new to Denocte, I would assume?" She asked, as she stood a respectable distance, curiosity keeping her in place after his first words to him. His next question however had her blinking slightly in shock before she snorted slightly in further amusement. "Neither, truly. But you carry the scent of Denocte, a clear marker you are part of the Court, so hardly a true stranger. But, I suppose, I do not, in any manner, make it a habit of approaching others in general, so perhaps you should consider yourself lucky for my attention?" Her retort was a touch more playful than his absent-minded reprimand.
Surely he knew he wasn't speaking to a naive foal?
He was checking the surrounding around them, but he gave his name of Boleyn, and the fae gracefully dipped her head in greeting, careful to keep her features respectable and not make a face at his audacity. She did however turn her gaze directly on him, "Ah, a Soldier. I am a medic with the Court, but I can assure you, I can take care of myself, I hardly need a supervisor to ensure my safety." Her filmy wings had lifted her into the air, and she gracefully hovered, tilting her head as she looked at him with amusement, "I have had a great deal of practice of defending myself, but I thank you for the concern all the same." She replied, trying to not laugh at the audacity.
She'd ruled nations before, after all. A warrior queen.
She tossed back her ivory forelock, and instead graced him with another smile, "But, never mind an argument on how well my gender can protect themselves. How are you taking to Denocte, Boleyn?" She asked instead, far more comfortable in the air than on the ground, the dainty fae relaxing as her wings buzzed delicately, fairy dust falling from them freely, causing small flowers to bloom beneath her where the dust settled, "I know it can be quite daunting to become accustomed to a new kingdom, but Denocte is a fine one, with many talented members." A number of them had already expressed interest in her tea shop as well, much to her delight. "If you have any questions regarding Denocte, or Novus in general, please do not hesitate to ask; I have become quite accustomed to these realms in my time here. And of course, if you have any questions later, I can always be found at my tea shop on the coast of Vitreus Lake."
"Speech" Thoughts
@Boleyn Notes: I am so amused by his desire to make her see she needs protecting. hahaha
and he ain't seen me crazy yet
he slapped my face and he shook me like a ragdoll
don't that sound like a real man?
Life was something of a carousel upon which the flashy, brightly painted horses turned about endlessly, one by one. In moments of sheer realization I was certain that I knew how similarly my outlook regarding life mimicked the infinite turning of the proverbial wheel... But it still took immeasurable effort for me to recognize that. Perhaps that was why I had never strayed from the antiquated ideas “endeared” to me as a child. After all, my father had been something of a conventional creature himself, not that I lauded him for it by any means. However, I had grown up one way and been pressed upon to accept a customary set of ideals as a male and as a soldier. I had been molded to be loyal, responsible… and fucking utterly unerring. It was something that I had matured into believing, even when little flowers thought they were powerful enough to uproot oak trees.
--
It was a dizzyingly pleasant experience to witness amusement morph into incredulity and it was even more enticing when it was flashing in various shades of umber beneath my blossom’s heavy lashes. She was eloquent and astute, but neither of those surfacing traits was quite so fascinating as the underlying affront she had carefully woven between her words in response to my abrasiveness. Perhaps she was more of a rose than any regular old bloom… beautiful, but also capable of wounding those who gripped her too tightly. However, I wasn’t one to shy away from cuts or bruises - in fact, her spirit only served to bolster my attention tenfold.
“Fairly new would be a great assumption, in this case, I think,” I challenged with a self-assured uptick of a smile - one to mimic her own chagrined amusement. It was between that smile and my next breath that I altered my own bodily focus, shifting and smoothing until I faced her wholly, my focus unwavering. I watched her face with unnerving intensity, my eyes tracing the swells and dips of her brows down to her chin as she attempted to spew her kind-hearted venom at me like it would perturb me or curb my brash behaviors. It almost made me chuckle in response. Didn’t she know it would take quite the backbone to impress change upon someone so set in their ways as I? Yet, I could give credit where credit was due in Caelum’s case, even if I didn’t believe a single thing about nature’s given “scent” being able to define someone as belonging to her little tribe. If I’d had enough incentive to teach her a lesson, I might implant myself elsewhere for a few weeks and see if my scent was as inviting to her as it was now.
“Sounds like a kink to me,” I teased with a cocky grin. “Awful nice of you to offer yourself up as the welcoming committee though. But, I am hoping this is more of a one-off for you and not the standard,” I mused thoughtfully. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be too lucky now would I?”
I watched with eager fascination as she focused those fathomless eyes back on me, a newly kindled fire blazing within their amber depths. At least my little blossom was fearless, even when she was quite clearly offended by me. Cute. As if to further my point, she extended those beautifully impossible wings to claw her way upward into the heated airspace before me, both a threat and a show of power. If she had wanted my full appreciation, all she had to do was ask. “I would think that someone of your profession would require more protection, don’t you think? Can’t have a fighting force without someone to heal them right? You can be as tough as you want darling, but at the end of the day you’ve got an army here and I’m a part of it. Logic dictates that I protect you,” I explained with a deadpan expression. “Although, I’ll gladly get in the ring with you if you’d like to brush up on some of those skills, “ I finished with a wink and slow, carnivorous smile. Clearly, my flower had learned a thing or two.I had no doubt of it. But I wasn’t about to let her think she was capable of dismissing me either. It just wasn’t the way I had been raised.
I’d been taught that males fought, died, and endeavored to protect everything within their Kingdom. Period.
Shaking my head to rid myself of the memories brought on by the past, I focused back on the little petal of a mare that had well and truly captured my interest. I wouldn’t ever go so far as letting her know she’d enamored me, but it was enough to allow her a taste of my delight as I peered back at her with open curiosity. Her smile was breathtaking, a balm to the grim, tight-lipped faces of my family too many miles away, and I was content to drown in it. “Donocte is as fine a place as I could imagine. I don’t doubt that its members are quite talented if you’re anything to go by. I’m sure I’ll manage to acclimate just fine over the next few weeks. Make the rounds. Learn some names,” I assured her more seriously. It was my job after all. However, that was all white noise in comparison to what I’d learned about Caelum the petal thereafter. She certainly never ceased to amuse (me at least). “You got a tea shop?” I questioned more forcefully than I’d meant to. If a blossom this pretty could fly, fight, and hold herself in a battle of wills against me, then surely she could brew some delightfully magical tea. Now I needed to experience it for studious purposes and the like. “Invite me to your shop sometime. I’ve got an affinity for it.”
It was a lie. I’d never had goddamn tea. But hey, sometimes we had to ingest some mysterious-ass shit to impress a pretty female. Plus, it was a good way of scoping out her herbal knowledge. Couldn’t ever be too careful… especially when I’d managed to potentially piss off the first creature I'd met with knowledge of the various poisons that might make me fucking disappear.
Playlist:
The Curse - Agnes Obel
Power Over Me - Dermot Kennedy
Lifeline - Bad Wolves
The Breach - STARSET
i'm going home, gonna load my shotgun
wait by the door and light a cigarette
if he wants a fight, well, now he's got one
This casual introduction was going wild.
Caelum had yet to decide if she was amused by it, or affronted by his behaviors and words. But still, she could be kind, polite, and cordial when interacting with someone new, could she not? Put your best foot forward, smile for the camera from your best side, always be the radiant flower, the light of summer, the elegant queen she was meant to be. Her mother would turn over in her grave if she behaved in any other way. So she tried to keep as calm as she could in this conversation, even if some of his words, his abrasive start was . . . . different than she was used to.
It made the exchange more interesting too.
She couldn't help it, she laughed, the sound bubbling up at his response, oh yes, fairly new would be the greatest of assumptions, wouldn't it? "I am certain it would, I am quite the observer after all, hard to miss that fact." She retorted, once she'd gained control of herself, shaking her head, and causing the glowing red necklace against her throat to jingle, the faint heat of it warming her skin, helping her to find her balance in this unexpected conversation. Especially when he suddenly was facing her fully, his attention locked on her. She blinked in surprise, shifting back just half a step at the intensity. The sudden flutter of nerves lit her belly, unaccustomed to such direct attention.
It caused a reaction with her magic too.
Small blossoms, little flowers of pink and white growing in amongst the locks of her hair, a few petals shedding with each movement. Perhaps his assumptions that she was a flower were more appropriate than he would know, and provided he keep such thoughts to himself, she would be far less inclined to show him the thorns among the foliage. As it was now, the attention was startling, unusual, unexpected. She didn't want to let that trip her up. So other than the slight flare-up of her own magic, and that half step back, she forced herself to collect herself again. She straightened up, eyeing him from beneath her lashes, coy and amused, "I think you are just hoping it is a kink." She retorted to his teasing.
She dropped her muzzle, the perfect picture of demure and elegance.
"After all, surely a lady, such as myself would never take pleasure in such dangerous encounters, no?" She implored with faux innocence before he startled that laugh from her once more, "No, typically I do not venture out among the crowds at all, but it was a lovely night, and so I figured engaging with company would not be so displeasing. So, you can still consider yourself blessed for the time being." That smile turned coy and playful again, borderline impish, "Unless I change my opinion on the company of course."
But the idea of needing protected . . .
She was capable on her own, thank you. She'd done it before, stood up for herself, stood beside her loved ones in the face of danger. She was no fragile creature, hiding in the shrubs and closing her eyes and ears from the fighting going on. She was raised, when in the face of danger, when war raged on, to not be afraid to lead her military into battle. It had made her kingdom, the Summer Court fae so enamored with her as well. Soft, beautiful, until you lit her fire.
Of course, she couldn't deny the truth in his words.
Her expression turned thoughtful as she hovered in the air, more comfortable in the sky than on the ground. "While, I will concede to your point, a medic in any period ought to be protected, that doesn't mean they cannot aid in the battle as well." She responded after a moment before she suddenly realized what he had called her, her gaze jumping back to him, "Logic may dictate that I ought to be protected in some situations, it does not need I am incapable of transversing a prairie myself. And please refrain from calling me darling. My name is Caelum. If that is too much of a mouthful, feel free to shorten it."
Pet names were too personal.
And she avoided personal after Calico and her son's deaths. After Tremaine gave his life in defending her. She didn't want to think about it. She was enjoying this banter right here, right now. She didn't need to fall into memories of the past, and what had once been. So she allowed herself to be drawn into his words again, startled slightly by the slow, carnivorous smile he sent her way, the wink that accompanied it. "I have a suspicion you would be quite the dangerous opponent to brush up my skills with." She tilted her head, smiling sweetly in his direction, "So, shall we meet in the middle perhaps? You are clearly a well-trained soldier, and it is your duty to protect those within Denocte. But I am also not so frail to need an escort around this land?" She suggested.
Her mother always said, if you can't win - compromise.
And so, the conversation continued, as he spoke of Denocte, calling it fine. She did feel a little flushed again when he indirectly called her talented, but she inclined her head lightly, regally; when he spoke of acclimating just fine, "I have no doubt you well. You show great prowess already for the position you hold." She agreed, her tone more friendly at his seriousness. And then his question came, and this time her smile was dazzling, the sort lit by being given the chance to talk about something she cared so deeply for, "Yes, I do, it is on the edge of Vitreus Lake, with an outdoor seating area built over the water. The Faerie Garden Emporium." She stated with pride, the heightened emotion causing more of those flower petals to shed and flutter free with her movements, "I built it myself." She added, though not going so far as to admit her own residence was behind the main room.
His request had her glancing his way in surprise.
"You are, of course, more than welcome to stop by. It is not quite ready to be open full-time, mind, to the public, but a number of my friends, some from other Courts as well, tend to stop by. They enjoy trying the most recent teas I have developed, as well as taste-test the menu items I hope to add when it is fully ready to open." She added, "And of course, a number of medicinal pouches and teas are available to those who need them." A careful mix of healing and peace was what she'd decided to build her shop up as, and she'd never deny how delighted she was to have made it successful this part. Why, even individuals from other Courts were eager to stop by, exchange recipes, and try her tea, so it was surely a success.
"So, please, feel free to stop by any time you like. If the front door is open, I am sure to be inside the building."
"Speech" Thoughts
@Boleyn Notes: This thread is just killing me! I am loving it so much!
and he ain't seen me crazy yet
he slapped my face and he shook me like a ragdoll
don't that sound like a real man?
