The night was cool, crisp, but not unpleasant, a statement to the newly blossoming season upon the land. The woman furrowed her brows at the thought, she'd grown so tired of the season and their ever changing ways, she was simply exhausted.
At home, when winter arrived, their world changed and everyone flitted about like bumblebees in a fresh field. There and then, it was their time, their moment to rule and her parents took it all in stride. Often, Zhavvorsi found the event tedious and honestly, stupid. Winter was perfectly happy to rule for a few months of the year before passing the torch, they were limp and lacked a backbone. For a young girl, it may have all been fun and games, but as she grew and matured, she'd changed, grown colder with each passing day until she skipped the event entirely. That's when she'd known there was no place left for her in the kingdom of Winter.
All this passed through the lady's mind as her icy eyes landed upon a gathered group of equines, all dancing around the raging inferno of a fire they'd built. A sly smile crawled across the dame's lips as she inhaled deeply. Besides the heavy smoke coating the air, she tasted wonder and mischief upon her tongue, causing her heartbeat to quicken. It wasn't until she drew closer and the crackling of the flames reached her that she heard the music. It must've been some sort of festival, but she allowed herself to be consumed by the moment.
Frigid skin sizzling, protesting the heat of the fire, she leapt into the fray, losing herself in the wildness of the night. The air was alive, reaching and pulled at her ivory locks, dragging cool fingers down her frost covered hide, enticing her - no, taunting her.
With a growl, the mare danced feverishly, jumping across trails of billowing smoke, twisting and turning as she went.
Finally, she'd found the revelry she'd craved for so long, now if only they'd keep playing, if only she could lose herself this way… forever.
~~~
Words: 348
Tags: @anyone
OOC: This is going to be fun! Sorry if there are errors, did it on mobile.
ephisto wasn’t usually one for revelry… but Novus and its festivals were starting to grow on her. With each changing season came a time for the courts to open their doors to others, and the spy in her had been curious at first in what she could learn. As it turned out, there wasn’t much to gather from these parties more than small talk and pleasantries, but the warg had found herself pleasantly surprised by the delicacies of each court and their customs. How else would she have learned of the vineyards in her own kingdom, or the night markets in Denocte? How would she have tasted Delumine’s autumnal cakes?
So she found herself at yet another celebration, standing in the firelight and sipping at a refreshing blend of berries and bubbles which tickled at her tongue. Around her there are children, and music, and dancers. And the fires burn long into the night.
She sees so many faces as they come and go, some familiar, some not. With each passing shadow, Mephisto’s cerulean gaze is shrewd and sharp, taking in their faces and catching bits of conversation, even managing a smile from time to time as she murmurs a hello or greeting. While she doesn’t join their singing or their dancing, her ears flick this way and that, scrying her surroundings as her gaze feasts on the decorations and the bright colors which surround them. For even in the darkness, the paint of the children begins to glow all manners of colors. It was a place where Mephisto found a strange sort of peace which washed over her, free from the duties of court and the vexings of her magic, free to simply take in the world around her.
As she stands between two bonfires, a spritely song takes flight, joined by the next round of dancers. They leapt with joy, laughing gaily and singing along, waving flags of gold and green to signify the spring. She watches their graceful movements, longing for the briefest of moments to have been born a creature more feminine… more graceful. But wishing to be something other than herself was fruitless, Mephisto knew… so she simply waits until the song changes again, her gaze falling on the mare as pale as ice.
“Good evening.” Mephisto’s voice is warm as she turns to the stranger. “I haven’t seen your face before… I never forget a face. Are you new to Novus?” And she waits to see what secrets the dancer held, yearning to know more.
Music floated around her, every note tickling and grasping at her, curling between her legs and touching the deepest parts of her heart; somewhere dark, somewhere unknown. It was unusual for the woman to lose herself so, to simply allow life to flow by as she leapt into the thick midnight, twisting and twirling with others that did the same, oblivious to the world around them. It was as if she’d been cast under a spell - one that could only be broken with the changing of songs, a brief moment where everything calmed and her heart stilled once more.
It was during one of these moments, where the dancers settled for a moment, that she was approached by a pegasus with eyes resembling the sea, deep and unsettling. “Good evening.”
“I haven’t seen your face before… I never forget a face. Are you new to Novus?”
The cold lady contemplated the words that left the stranger’s maw, rolling seamlessly through the thick, night air. Perhaps it was the haze that distracted her, but for a moment, she struggled hearing anything but the voices of her fellow dancers.
Finally, a smile curled across her face, the light of the blaze glinting across her ice coated hide, reflecting the light.
“Perhaps I am,”
it was no answer but honey soaked laughter escaped her, falling from her lips in a symphony of ecstasy.
“I’m Zhavvorsi,”
the dame dipped her crown with the words, that sinister smile never leaving her lips.
“Tell me, do you enjoy music?”
the woman asked quietly, her smile dimming as she watched the pegasus closely.
However, though her face remained welcoming and warm, her eyes revealed her every secret. Frigid, cold, judgemental, there was an uncanny quiet there, a constant analysis of everything around her all exposed there within those mirrors, exposing her soul. Perhaps one could compare it to a snake preparing to strike, still and silent. Maybe, Zhavv was simply waiting for the perfect moment to sink her fangs into flesh.
erhaps I am. She nods at the stranger’s words without admitting that she too was an outsider to Delumine. Though she had been to the Dawn Court before, it had only been for events such as these. While it wasn’t in her nature to be so open with strangers, Mephisto knew the value of diplomacy, and in the spirit of diplomacy, she stood ready to meet their neighbors (whether it was in her nature or not). She offers a smile, relaxing slightly at the mare’s question. For she did enjoy the music, even if she was hesitant to admit it.
"I’ve always had an appreciation for art,” she explains, "Though I myself am hardly the artistic type. Still, there is much to appreciate in the music.” She might not be dancing, but there is a certain lightness about Mephisto, one which she seldomly indulged, generally too on-guard to relax in the presence of strangers, much less take part in jovial festivities. Still, her hoof tapped in time with the song, the drink in her grasp growing lighter with each small sip that passed her lips.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she offers, "I am Mephisto.” She dips her head slightly in a greeting bow before continuing. "I’m sure you will find a place in Novus, it is a land of opportunity, with many different lands and cultures. I come from the Dusk Court... Terrestella. We take great pride in the beauty of our land, and are known for our healers, and even host a training hospital where other courts can come to learn the craft.
Tell me, where is it you’ve come from? I was new here once too…” In truth, some days she still felt like an outsider, never quite buying into the magic and the gods of this world. But she found it a place of beauty and wonder too, a place where she had been left to the freedom of her own choices. And as she stands with curiosity edging in her small talk, the festival continues its lively celebration around them.
