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« No Damsel in distress, don’t need to save me. »
Dawn was pleasant in summer, similar to her own beloved court. She had arrived to speak to Cally officially as Sovereign, just before the chaos that had come with Liam and his stepping down and leaving. There was still a pant in her heart at the abrupt change, but she was determined to do her best and not let down those that had voted for her. So, desiring a break from the court, she and Neema took a small journey to the beautiful forest.
The maned wolf was bouncing through the underbrush, her vibrant coat a calling card to any that had seen her before. "Mind staying semi close, Neema? Vespera forbid that you give one of Cally’s court a heart attack! She might just send Coy and his glitter after us!!" She called with a teasing tone. Her companion yipped a laugh and bounded closer.
"He wouldn’t dare. I would bite his dear butt." Neema panted before plunging away again. Sometimes Uzi wondered if the canid would ever slow down.
A soft smile seemed permanently etched upon her face as she followed, the shading from the trees a welcome change to the hot summer sun. Though after the forge, was summer even truly hot? The thought made Uzi snort and she casually stretched her wings and tucked them back in. She had her weapon on her, a habit formed from when she was a soldier. The matching armor was at home, making her feel light and free.
Neema raced back to her side, making Uzi flick an ear and gaze about her curiously. There was a shadow that she hadn’t noticed, a figure just a bit further in the woods. Stepping forward, Uzi approached with Neema staying close by.
"Hello. Beautiful afternoon, isn’t it?" She greeted the other, dipping her head and smiling warmly at him.
"Uzuri"
"Neema"
@Liseli Notes: <3 I am sooo excited!!!
Credit: Character by Chaosy, Art by LizzArtStudios
It happens unceremoniously—his initial venture outside the borders of Denocte.
There is no great build-up, no intensity of anticipation. He simply…leaves. Grazing somewhere along the grassy fields near Vitreus Lake, an idea sits itching at the back of his mind, and without giving himself time to overthink it, the boy suddenly launches himself to the skies. Ignoring a twinge of pain that shoots through his right shoulder, he surges on leathery wings higher, higher, until the warm summer air is cooled by the expanse of the ocean.
He carries with him five supplies: scraps of charred bronze metal, a bundle of silk, a large black opal stone, a collection of dyes, and a crude drawing. It all began when he had been wandering through the Night Markets, guided by memories, when reminiscing suddenly led to an idea, a promise, of gaining something he had lost. Everything has been stolen from him (even the breath from his lungs, at one point) and there is very little control he has to take any of it back—but this, his armor, a piece of his former life, he can breathe existence into again.
With few blacksmiths living within Denocte, he had been told to travel elsewhere: abroad to the Dusk Court, to find an artisan living within the Citadel there. There are nerves that flicker at the ends of his already-frayed emotions, apprehension that ripens as the foreign empire comes into view, but the red stallion pushes onward. While recreating something of his former self may aggravate wounds that have only partially healed, this is something he believes he must do.
Circling overhead once, Fang lands heavily within the Court’s walls, the impact of his hooves striking the stones reverberating deep through his bones. Standing for a moment, his nostrils curl as he inhales the scents of this strange place. Fearing his anxiety will get the better of him, he grits his teeth and forces himself to move, ember eyes searching for the forge.
take a drunk girl home
let her sleep all alone
leave her keys on the counter
your number by the phone
pick up her life she threw on the floor
The little mare was silent as she crept through the estate her father considered to be his pride and joy. The power it showed with it's size, perfect manicured laws - even in the heart of Solterra, beneath the pounding sun. So perfect, so well maintained, so idealized. The main house was kept lit well, fresh, new furniture with each passing year (sometimes each passing season). New garments for the daughters, jewelry when they asked for it. Perfect princess paraded about and never allowed to be touched. Precious treasures that he would see well sought but matched with ideal, highly ranked males who would give them the finest in life.
And then there was Swahili. The unfortunate product of an affair. A bastard child that was almost turned away the same day her mother left her before the manor and made a run for it. It was Addy who spoke up, swearing, vowing to watch her, help her, protect her - gave her the means to stay. And yet she always felt the outcast. Her father who ignored her existence. Older siblings who scoff at her - the unwanted bastard daughter. ANd now, as a lovely mare, into her prime, while her sisters would have perfect matches made, she knew what awaited her was a match of power. She could be wed off to who ever the highest bidder was. A disgusting older gentleman looking for a fresh, young play thing. A dastardly stallion with a cruel side that needed a pretty princess to pull under his thrall.
Her future was bleak - and with that acknowledgement, came her desires to sneak out, to find freedom where she could. Because she knew her life would forever be tied to her powerful father and his will. Swahili Atraer had no escape in sight. Particularly because Addy's wellbeing depending on her as well, not just because of his troubles lately, but also because the knowledge that her father would willingly hurt her older brother to harm her mentally, to punish her, was well acknowledged. No, unlike that wild, and spicy mare that made her heart ache with the familiarity of freedom and being able to just be the gypsy child she had been raised to be for the first half year of her life; she couldn't just escape and run for it. She had a duty to the House Atraer. She may not be a treasured Princess, but she was still a Daughter of House Atraer, so she would settle with the simple things.
Like sneaking out. Hooves carried her away from her father's home, through the desert as she made way to the Oasis, where a small grotto was hidden by dense foilage. Looking around slowly, she eyed the area around her, making sure there was no one watching. Seeing no one, the desert blossom pushed through the otherwise solid looking wall of vegetation, parting it like a curtain, and slipping into the tunnel behind, following it, pausing occasionally at points where the tunnel diverged, making sure to make all the right turns. Seeing the fabric swaying ahead, the female let a smile break through her muzzle, and she kicked off her hooves, pushing through the fabric and into the set up hidden grotto, fabric hanging from the roof, pillows against one wall, bright colors, patterns, trinkets all reminding her of home with her mother - part of a gypsy caravan. She smiled warmly, settling down into the pillows and rolling to stare up through the whole in the ceiling that flooded this hidden grotto with sunlight that helped feed the vegetation in the area.
It was a lonely existence, both inside and outside of House Atraer, living in solitude as she did, but at least she had some freedoms.
Uzuri was still shaken by the events that had passed since she had accepted and been voted to become the second sovereign for her beloved court. The fact that she was now the only one was something terrifying, something she wasnt sure that she was ready for. Even with her bonded telling her she would succeed, those reassurances only seemed to hit her skin. The fears were simmering deeper, something that was terrifying for the mare as she tried to look forward for her court. That was the reason that she was moving as early as she was. In her room in the citadel, Neema was sleeping peacefully.
Traversing the citadel, Uzuri made her way out and into the pre-dawn gloom. It was going to be a warm day, something that she loved. Yet there was a chill in her bones. Spreading her wings, the sovereign leapt into the skies to soar among the clouds. There was an icy chill to the morning, but it felt pleasant against her warm flesh. She had a mission, a place she wanted to go. A few words she needed to say. Well, perhaps more than a few.
The peak was easy to find, her wings carrying her forward as she began to angle toward the earth again. There was something in her that hated the idea of landing in the temple area, something that pushed her to land just down the slope and make the last stretch on her own four hooves. Her eyes found the statue of Vespera, a soft smile gracing her pale lips. Moving toward the statue, she dipped into a bow before the stone.
"Vespera. Goddess of my beloved court. I seek your guidance." She began before righting herself and gazing up at the chiseled face. "My heart has always been yours. It has been too long since I journeyed up the peak to speak with you. So much has changed in the last few years and I feel like I am in a whirlwind." She continued.
"It wasnt that long ago that I was a warrior, a champion. I fought with all I had to help my court and protect those that I loved. Then I became overwhelmed. I left to try to find myself again. And I did. I became a blacksmith and fell in love with the art that it was. I thought I was happy, I was happy... Then Liam came." Her words softened as she spoke, her eyes closing. She found herself pressing her warm flesh to the cool stone and watching as the sunrise colored the clouds.
"He said he hasnt spoken to you. My heart hurt at that knowledge. I would want to be in the favor of my goddess as the leader of my court. That is why I am here. I am certain that you know the events that have taken place. I accepted the role, won the vote... I thought I would have time to learn before being alone as the leader of the court. Now, Liam has stepped down and I have no one to turn to beside you. I find myself so blessed to know that I can turn to you." She murmured softly.
"I dont want to fail. I want to make the court proud, to make you proud. I am going to need help. I need a plan to move forward. While I do not expect your answer, I would love to hear what you think. Few are probably blessed enough to hear your words. I would imagine most simply see the statue and wonder why we care for the gods and goddesses that they represent. But I have loved you my entire life. All I ask is that you somehow direct me. Help me to be the best sovereign for Dusk. Help me to not fail, to not let you down. I dont think I could handle that knowledge." Her words were edged with emotion as she looked up at the statue. Words spent, she stood silently. The stone against her flesh warmed from her own body heat, but a small part of her wondered if it wasnt the goddess trying to reassure her.
"Uzuri"
"Neema"
@Random Events Notes: after Liam's withdrawal from sovereign
Credit: Character by Chaosy, Art by LizzArtStudios
Posted by: Jane - 04-27-2022, 07:33 PM - Forum: The Night Court
- No Replies
Jane
Jane had never been to Denocte before, not even when she had been a girl, seemingly so long ago. The cloying dark of the mountains seemed to bound down into the valleys, into the cities. It was Summer now, true Summer, and Jane could feel her sides sweating. And yet she was in shadow; the shadow of the Sun. It seemed that Jane’s sin had soaked into the surrounding environment and was now being repaid by the hard road, the harder sky.
She reminded herself once more of the address in her cloak, clawed out of the relatives in the Sun Court. She had told her husband of her plan to visit Sebastian, but she didn’t know if that same news had reached her cousin. Jane truly hoped that he would not be irritated by her presence, but she was desperate.
Desperate. That word was an apt summary of her person, Jane thought. When hadn’t she been desperate? For her mother’s muzzle, for her husband’s friendship, for that ugly thing that the people in the cities called love.
No, love had no place in Jane’s life. She couldn’t even claim that the sinful bastard in her womb came from love- that, too, had come from the severe desperation for touch. Not kind touch, just the acknowledgement that she existed, was a beast within this world just as any other of her kind. For as long as it had stood, she was wife. Not real, just a word written next to her husband’s name. In the registry, she was nothing.
But she was Vogelstein. Hopefully, the Vogelstein of her mother’s blood would not betray her, not like her mother had. Maybe there was something warm somewhere within her mother’s lineage, and perhaps she could find it in the Night Court. Other than Veil, Jane had no one else.
The buildings seemed to stretch over her, structures of brick and stone that had existed forever. What horses had raised these boulders, and what sadness and anger had seeped into the Summer-soaked streets. Jane checked the address one final time, and walked to where she could hope to find salvation.
@Sebastian
i've never felt more alone it feels so scary getting old
Summer had dawned, and the little medic found that she was more stir crazy than usual. Taking a day away from Lu’s clinic, the little mare decided to take a journey away from her room at the inn and find something new. While her sister would be taking to the sea, Pol found herself on land and happily moving through the terrain. She had been to most of the realm at this point, and the Illuster meadows had been something that had made her smile time and time again. So that is where she decided to head.
It was peaceful, early afternoon. Pol’s dual eyes took in the world around her with a smile. As she meandered through the grass, she kept her eye out for familiar plants that would be helpful for the clinic. It seemed that even on a day away from work, she was still a medic at heart and ready to jump in and at least gather new plants. The knowledge made the young mare snort and she laughed softly.
The scent of mint caught her nares and she turned to search for it. Besides being handy as an ingredient for medicine, she loved the taste in teas and foods. Finding a rather large patch, she quickly harvested a decent amount without taking all of it.
"Such a diverse plant. So useful." She murmured softly as she inhaled the intoxicating scent and smiled.
Twilight turns the sky a dusky cocktail of indigo and firelight, it bleeds into an ink-ladled night away from the horizon, where the stars are angel eyes and they blink away the sleep. The air is warm, all the heat from the dunes rising like wayward spirits, forced to wander the earth until the hours pass and soothe away the warmth.
The mirages were not the only restless entities.
A chimera mare slinks across the desert, she moves like a sidewinder, graceful and sylph-like across the tide of moon-bleached sands. She is a dark and wrathful shape, a wraith of a woman, hairs dancing wildly behind her like a pennant of war. Quietly, she slithers to the mouth of an oasis; two golden black eyes trace the dappling shadows of the lush foliage for signs of life – a speckled ear and its plain partner are cupping the air and listening for strangers.
For the time being, her only company was the crickets in the brush. The babbling of the waterfall was uninterrupted, the soft whispers of water cutting into sandstone a temptress of peace.
Fever sighs once she is certain she is alone, her shoulders slump gently, her posture is relaxing as she sinks into tranquility. Vitae Oasis was still standing in all her glory – the woman fondly recalls her excursions here, whenever she’d convince another slave to come with her, and in strange sisterhood, they’d come bathe in hopes the waters would dissolve their chains; Fever remembers other women much wiser than her telling her secrets of the limestone that turns to milk in these waters, and they would paint over her wounds and sores and gently sing servant hymns.
If ever asked what love is, she would assume that besides the grace of her mother, those wiser crones were as close to love as Fever would ever get – that kind of affection was selfless and healing, primal and feral yet gentle and tender.
Tonight, she hoped to see their ghosts playing in the pools, perhaps laughing and splashing, free and untamed. And maybe they were quietly watching, but instead of hair braiding and gaiety, only the wind plays in Fever’s tangles, and no smile touches her black lips.
Fever instead draws closer to the water’s edge, glancing further back behind the fronds where the waterfall spills. She looks down to her reflection and shifts, prepared to remove her mask and jewelry so that she can slip into the water. Yet she hesitates as an unknown perfume hits her nostrils, stirs something alive in her, and she unsheathes that knife-like stare and looks over her shoulder into the darkness. Her heart is fluttering rapidly and she can feel the adrenaline eating at her muscles, yet she masks her fear of the unknown well, and does not let the stranger know that she has been startled.
“Well,” she speaks like the juice spilling from crushed ripe fruit, “Are you coming to join me? These waters heal you.” With a curious curl of her neck, she awaits to see and hear the figure out of reach.
Liseli had finally reached the Dawn Court’s lands and was enjoying the scenery as he ventured through the cobblestone streets of the main city section. It was awfully quiet on the streets other than the occasional pockets of sounds coming from various homes or workshops. Liseli thought his experience here would have been different, but he also knew that the odd placing of life around the city would be the result of the festivals and such. There seemed to be a lot of events around this court, much different from the other he’d passed through. Liseli had always been used to the more tranquil life, inexperienced in the ways of planning and management. Regard;es he figured the best way to show some initiative was to complete the task the sovereign had given him by chance. To get cake? Probably
The word had gotten to him through the grape vine, he’d known few individuals around other than the occasional greetings but it was nearly impossible to not hear of the “baby boom.” Apparently love had been in the air this spring and the court was expecting new arrivals. Liseli wasn’t quiet sure of children, but as long as everyone was happy. Maybe the foals would bring stability and a sense of peace to this land. A grand thought though peace seemed to be the standard at least since he’d arrived. So the mission he’d been sent on did make sense, again he didn’t really engage much with children but he did know everyone liked the occasional sweets.
His job now was to find the bakers apparently for various confections for the newest event about the land. This wouldn’t be the issue he could carry plenty and had brought his leather satchel with him to ensure he could make the trip. Now finding the bakery seemed to be his issue. Listening for the faint sound of ovens or any type of mixing was obviously not getting him very far considering in the clusters where there was noise it was jumbled. No one to give up half way he thought of what he could do. No one to ask, going to every sound cluster would take too long, what would the animals do? He thought of friend bear, a creature known for their sweet tooth’s. Scent… that was the answer.
He inhaled deeply hoping he could find some type of pick up, though the horses nose wasn’t nearly as sensitive as brother bears’ he’d gotten lucky. The faint scent of sugar wafted closer to him through the cobble store streets. He was farther than expected but at least he had a clue. Focusing hard and letting his nose guide him he wandered forward making sure to glance around himself every now and then, scent can be hard to pinpoint.
It was a bit of time before the smell of sweets and bread became stronger and the sounds of fire ovens reached his ears. He’d found it, through a large open door much like the openings of large barns. He shouldn’t have been surprised it was pretty close to the main castle. He wandered in and saw the busses of various equines all around in the darker bakery room. A large scale production it seemed. One equine had a ring of white flour across the left side of their face Liseli smiled at this little mishap. Reagrdless he couldn’t a muse himself long and he quickly set to finding the individual in charge. There was a pony of a mare, a character really, loud little and purple barking commands at her fellow equines.
“Hello, I am Liseli I was sent to… get the goods for the festival?” He was unsure but hoped the pony could help him. She retorted quickly with a friendly smile, “yes of course we have been expecting someone all the things that are ready are over that way, come!” Liseli smiled politely back at the the enthusiastic Lilian pony lady and he followed her to a smaller table with some fairly ornate pastries and two cakes. For his relief they were all wrapped safely, now he could carry them in his bag. He thanked the mare and set to placing a few of the smaller boxes in his bag, the rest he could carry.
——————————————————————————
It was a bit of journey to get back to the festival grounds for the newest event. It wasn’t too far of a distance, but he walked slowly as to not drop anything he was carrying. What an amusing sight to see as the large Pegasus balanced cakes upon his slightly outstretched wings. In some cases wings could be used as hands and for this mission he was glad to have them. He looked around wearily to find the brown doe to let her know he’d arrived back but things were a little busy and he figured they find each other eventually.
"Speech" | TAGS: @Callynite | NOTES: Not sure if this is exactly how this was supposed to go but cakes have arrived lol.
Torielle had lost track of time. After she had broken from Veil to speak with Jarek everything had gone so askew. When she had needed the star most she had been walking away. The mare knew that it had to have been for a good reason, but the sinking that had swallowed her gut had been undeniable. It had only been the swift intervention of Vreis that had saved her. Even that, though, had been strange. She couldn’t quite place why she had felt so safe with him, but perhaps it was just her panic. He had been so kind to her, offering to protect her from Jarek interfering further. She was still holding onto the tome that he had bound for her, the veil he had made thrown across her shoulders. Though the fabric was feather-light, it weighed heavy on her. The scholar did not know what to do with these unexpected gifts, and the polite part of her said that she should just keep them, if hidden away so she need not look at them until she settled her feelings on the matter.
Vreis had whisked her away to a hidden tent, cozy and comfortable and they had exchanged stories. She couldn’t help that now that she was away from the stag that he may have held his own motivations for spiriting her away from the crowds that surrounded Jarek. The mare shook her head as she walked, trying to clear the nonsense from her mind. Surely he couldn’t have been taking advantage of her. Though he had used up much of her time in the name of being sure that she would not encounter the obsidian encrusted brute again.
The stalls were closing, the denizens of each court settling to their respective places as the bonfire in the distance started to burn low and slow. The moon shone high overhead now, bathing everything in a faint blue glow. Firebugs floated between the tents, as if guiding the mare back to the start of this whole venture. She just hoped she was not too late.
Torielle had promised Veil a dance, and she was going to be sure that she had one, even if it was the last of the evening. The scholar broke from the line of merchant stalls into the open space set aside for the festivities, seeing only a handful of souls still lingering, most of them couplings, holding each other close as the musicians played soft melodies for them to sway to. The doe scanned the area, hoping to spy the starwoman first. Hopefully she’d not been waiting too long. The woman’s gut twisted at the idea of potentially having stood up her friend.
Their day had already been so eventful, what with the shopping trip earlier that morning. Torielle’s heart lurched, remembering the flirtatious interaction, and how her mind and actions had wandered far beyond friendship. And yet, Veil still wanted to dance with her. After they’d had some time away for the afternoon, to eat and mingle with others, things had settled and, for Torielle at least, felt like they had gone back to normal. No strange tensions or desires bubbling just underneath the surface. Would Veil have changed her mind? Would she have seen all these pairings and decided that she could not dance with the antlered woman in such a way. The dappled mare wouldn’t have been able to blame her, of course. Perhaps the friend of hers had seen their earlier encounters and wanted to speak with Veil to tell her all the things that they had seen in Torielle’s eyes. What the meanings were behind her words, her actions, how obvious it was to those around her.
As those thoughts of doubt crept in, the hope of seeing the star before the festival concluded for the evening started to dissipate. She had probably thought Torielle had wandered off with Jarek or else some other person and would not be returning. How foolish of her to have wandered so far with Vreis. To allow herself to lose track of time. How would she make it up to the star if she broke her promises? True, it was only for a dance, but if she could not keep up simple bargains, how could she be trusted with more severe ones? Torielle’s blue pools scanned the faces of those present, both dancers and observers alike, hoping to see the woman, but steeling herself for the very real possibility that Veil was no longer there, and she had missed her opportunity.
So tell me your secrets ; and join me in pieces TO FALL AND REWRITE THE BITTER END
It had taken a lot longer than the young stallion had intended to find his way back to Caelum’s shop. So much had happened in dusk, just recently the announcement of Liam’s stepping down. Along with meeting many new faces within dusk. He had healed well, his feathers and coat had regrown nicely with minimal scarring. He had learnt to fly, hence being able to soar his way from Dusk to night court for this visit. Seeing the lands rolling by past beneath him was a pleasure he had come to enjoy. It took time to master his flight - it felt free to be able to relax and use his strength to guide him in the air.
He had felt odd reappearing with nothing to offer. So when he had stopped to catch his breath he searched for something fitting in the neutral lands. First he found a tree with delicate looking leaves on its branches. He found the texture of these pleasing to look at. However it seemed quite bland without something else. He looked and sniffed carefully inspecting plant after plant. Deciding that anything prickly, or odd smelling wouldn’t be a good choice. He had mastered basic telekensis since their last visit, so he was able to pluck them in a much neater fashion than he could have previously. He settled on white and purple flowers that seemed to grow aplenty beside the stream. Their petals felt silky and smooth, with a mild fragrance. It still felt like it was missing something…He plucked 4 large white feathers from his wings and stuck them amongst his novice arrangement. With some long grass he assembled the ends together neatly.
He could be bringing her weeds and unpleasant things for all he knew. But in his mind they looked beautiful, and didn’t smell bad. He only hoped he had made decent choices. Perhaps this simply highlighted his lack of botanical knowledge. He hadn’t wanted to pick or pluck plants that belonged to someone and find himself in trouble. He was ever more aware of the politics of the area; it wouldn’t do well to stir any unrest in this time. He was sure Uzi would do right by Dusk; but Aeon was unaccustomed to change.
With his attempt at flower arrangement tucked in his mouth he found his way to Caelum’s shop. Carefully lowering his speed and landing outfront with a swoosh of feathers. Being as large as he was, making a stop was sometimes difficult. It had taken alot of crashing to learn how to land. He knocked gently on the door, and stood patiently waiting for a response. He hoped she was home - he hadn’t thought of writing a card in-case she wasn't.
