I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart
”O’er the Arma, She searched for her love,
Blessed by the Seer in the Stars above,”
She sang in dulcet tones, sweet and mesmerizing to the audience around her even though she did not sing for them. Runaveig waltzed through the streets like a dancer, nimble, quick, and graceful, weaving her way and letting the clip of her hooves upon the ground set the tempo for the song she sung. It was a song she had grown up with, a melody forever ingrained within her head; a tale of love, loss, and finding that same love once more. How very romantic.
”And He, with a veil of Night,
And She, with the gift so Bright
Met beneath the dark of Night”
The markets weren’t particularly busy, at least not on this night. It wasn’t enough to cause Runa any discomfort to be singing so openly, so brazenly, letting the words escape her lips without self-doubt. Above her, Umbra continued his leisurely glide, the pygmy dragon keeping a watchful eye out upon the other denizens of the court as they meandered through the market stalls and various vendors. Surely they would not hurt their own, despite Runaveig’s relatively new status among them.
Runaveig would never grow tired of Denocte. It was beautiful. She glanced upwards to the stars glittering above, marveling at the vast galaxies that existed above their very own heads. Did everyone here understand how very grand and marvelous it was? Then her eyes focused on the path ahead, pausing in her song long enough to smile prettily towards a few passing strangers before picking up the notes once more.
”A rekindled Love, had upon the Shore,
Night and Day were united once More.”
A quick, happy ending for lyrics speaking of a profound love, heartache, and a rekindling romance. The twilight maiden wondered just what that must feel like. Pausing by a vendor selling tasty oat cakes, Runa slipped the kindly gentleman a few signos before taking one and enjoying the savory treat along her evening stroll.
“Would you care for some, Umbra?” She inquired, golden eyes flicking upwards towards the black dragon gliding lazily above her. He seemed to grin, sharp white teeth glistening in the moonlight, and shook his head.
’No. Those things are rather unpalatable. Enjoy it for me, if you would?’ Pale lips turned up in a genuine smile, warm and adoring, and Runaveig did just that. Finishing her treat, she continued gracefully along the streets, content to browse the wares and hum softly beneath her breath.
The grullo mare made her way down the market streets, taking in the sights and smells. Above her, the moon hung low and it seemed to be the only familiar thing in this strange world. All around her were things she was not used to. It seemed this place was far more established than her home back in Ourania. In comparison they had been so much more… primitive. She wasn't sure what that then said about her.
Morrighan had contemplated running away and seeing if she could return to Ourania from the outer borders. Maybe she had traveled after the war and didn't remember it, but then again she did feel different, more mortal. Those in her old lands were immortal, especially with their powerful magic. She lacked both of those things now and it made her feel weaker. She hated it.
She was angry still, despite having found refuge within the Night Court. None of it was the same and it never would be. Was it pointful trying to leave? Probably not. Eventually she would likely have to come to terms that she was stuck here and would need to make a new life for herself.
Could the gods of this land at least take pity on her and give her fire magic again? That was really all she could ask for.
A melodic voice carried her out of her thoughts and her ears perked as she looked around for the singer. Coming towards her was a mare she recognized in passing, along with a black dragon floating above her. That made another strange sight to Morrighan's eyes as she was not used to other species co-existing with equines. So far at least she had yet to come face to face with a canine since the war back home.
As the woman neared, Morrighan could tell she was overall chipper and it immediately irked her. There was something about overly happy individuals that made her teeth grind. It was almost unnatural just how optimistic they were.
For now, she supposed she wouldn't rain on her parade just yet. Maybe if she became too annoying.
"Do you always run around singing like this or did something special happen?" she asked the woman, genuinely curious. There weren't horses like this one back home.
Her eyes moved up to where the dragon flew, feeling a bit unsure of its presence. They also didn't have those where she came from, so she didn't know what they were capable of. Her muscles tensed out of habit, but she was pretty sure this one was just a friend.
I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart
Runaveig understood that her singing could warrant attention. Despite her generalized anxiety, she loved giving a good performance. Despite the fact that this song she had sung had been for her, the lyrics leaving her lips with the intention of simple enjoyment, they could still earn a reaction from the general populace around her. Perhaps that was why, even as she enjoyed the last bits of her sweet oat cake, that a grullo woman set their attentions on her.
A dainty ear flicked towards the overo’s direction at the sound of the other woman’s voice, elegant brows lifting in curiosity. Oh?
“I walked,” Runa stated quite obviously, innocently unaware that the grullo’s statement had been inquired with some semblance of sarcasm, “To sing, I mean. Running in such crowded streets would be terribly unwise.”
Someone could trip. Someone could be knocked into or pushed over and subsequently they could get hurt. That wouldn’t be very nice, would it? A terrible way to end the evening, for sure. Still, the twilight maiden’s pink lips curled into a gentle smile, golden eyes glittering in the moonlight as she stared at the stranger beneath the crystals of her mantle. There was a feral masculinity about this grullo woman, a wildness to her that Runaveig could never hope to replicate. Not that she wanted to, as the entertainer was quite content as she was, but… It must be empowering to be so sure of oneself.
Above her, Umbra inevitably shifted in his glide to instead turn and land upon Runaveig’s lean back, crawling his way up her spine. The pygmy dragon’s piercing, keen yellow-green eyes regarded the grullo mare with a look of scrutinizing curiosity, and she could feel his concern. ’I believe that this one was being sarcastic, dear heart,’ Umbra supplied, which caused Runa’s lips to part in a surprised ‘oh’. Umbra chuckled, the sound a deep, resonating rumble that carried through the market air.
Shifting her hooves upon the earth to try and hide her embarrassment and mounting anxiety, the young entertainer cleared her throat and went on. “I suppose something special did happen, yes. I woke with the dawn. Isn’t that in itself what you might classify as ‘special’ when we couldn’t have woken at all?” Maybe it wasn’t to everyone, but to someone with a fear of death as high as hers, waking to another day was always a precious gift.
Morrighan looked at Runa with a deadpan expression as it was clear she was not familiar with sarcasm. Coming all the way out here just to go around and sing seemed like an odd way to spend your time. At least for Morrighan, there were many other things she would rather be doing.
Then, the mare's dragon landed on her and crawled up her side. The sight made Morrighan a little uneasy; how Runa didn't mind a creature walking all over her made no sense. It stared at her and Morrighan's eyes narrowed. What did it want?
The mare then remarked that waking with the dawn was special. Even though this was a fair point, there was more of that chipper tone in her voice that was still irritating.
"I… suppose," Morrighan began to say, her eyes still flickering back to the suspicious pygmy dragon. "Although in my case, waking up brings you to an entirely different world." Her tone did not hide her annoyance in this fact and it would probably be a long time before she got over it.
"Either that or I'm in a very long dream…" Knowing now that the mare didn't seem to pick up sarcasm very well, this response would likely go over her head as well. Maybe Morrighan would be better off heading back to bed.
I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart
Oblivious to the other woman’s ire and general displeasure, as well as her profound sense of sarcasm, Runaveig stood there quite happily with her head tilted just so towards one side. Her smile was open, honest, and earnest, the gems of her golden eyes glittering in the torch and lantern light cast upon the market streets. A breeze sent the cascade of ivory hairs about her pretty face in a wave, but still she did not take her eyes off of the grullo mare.
Around them, the bustle of the Night Markets remained as steady as ever. Citizens of all manner of lifestyle stepped around them, some giving them curious glances before deciding not to get involved and continuing on whatever path lay ahead of them. The murmur of conversation was soft, not too loud to be jarring, but even as they conversed, Umbra kept an eye on things just in case his bond-mate was a little too preoccupied to do it herself.
Instead of speaking, she listened, rapt and with attention. Even though Runa had been born within Denocte, she knew very little of the individuals that lived within the Night Court proper. Growing up with a wandering troupe of wayward gypsies tended to do that, and even then, they had stuck to their mountain passes over the beautiful peaks of the Arma. Runa’s expression changed, her golden eyes darkening but for a moment as her smile gave way to a consternated sort of frown, thoughtful and confused.
“... I suppose I could understand how that would be terribly unpleasant, yes,” the young entertainer murmured softly in acquiescence, “Not to mention confusing. You fell asleep and then ended up here, in Novus?” Runaveig’s tilted her head once more, this time to the left, her pale brows furrowed as she tried to piece the mystery together. “That’s… Very strange. I’ve heard of many things, but never of someone falling asleep and then waking somewhere else.” Abruptly, an idea came to her, and the sunset maiden’s face lit up. Unaware in her desire to help Morrighan understand whatever predicament had befallen her, Runaveig took a dainty step forward. “Oh! Perhaps you sleep walked?”
Umbra let out a little sigh from the woman’s gradient back, knowing that ‘sleep walking’ was certainly not what had brought the other mare to Novus. There was a magic about this place; mysterious and greedy, and sometimes it could do unnatural things simply because it felt like it. Yet he could not extrapolate that to the grullo spotted mare, and so simply stayed quiet to allow his bond-mate to engage her in further conversation.
Runa’s exuberant smile seemed to falter. “Um. I’m sorry. I didn’t even introduce myself, did I? I’m Runaveig, and this is Umbra. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
At Morrighan's explanation of her arrival here, the mare's expression changed significantly. She seemed both concerned and confused since she hadn't really heard of anything like it before. Of course, it would be Morr's luck to be a special case. What had she done to deserve blacking out and winding up here? Had they really upset the never-present gods that they had to be punished for fighting in the war? These were things that she would likely never know and that was the part that still bothered her.
Suddenly the other mare brightened up at a new thought, then suggested that Morrighan had simply been sleepwalking. The dragon companion let out a sigh and, if Morr had the ability to facepalm, she would.
"No… I don't think that was it," she replied flatly. Images of the war flashed through her mind and she gritted her teeth. "There was a Great War in my homeland. I was in the middle of the battle when I suddenly blacked out. I woke up here after, so it was something, but it couldn't have been sleepwalking." Sleepwalking would have required quite a distance to be traveled and there was no way she could have done that magicless and mortal.
It had escaped her that the two hadn't introduced themselves, so she learned that the mare was Runa and her companion was Umbra. She gave a sort of half smile to the dragon, still not feeling completely sure of it.
"My name is Morrighan," she replied with a nod. "I've seen you around the court - how long have you been a member?" She found herself surprised at asking the question since normally she couldn't care less about others. Maybe this new world was changing her already.
The noise around them of the market drew her attention away from the pair for a moment. Everything from the streets to the merchants to the products was so otherworldly to her. It was interesting, but at the same time just left Morrighan feeling more confused and out of place.
"The world is so much different here than my home. It's much more…" Primitive, she wanted to say, but that didn't sound right. "Rural. We just didn't have all these standing structures and activity." It was a wonder if she would ever become used to this new life.
I was standing
You were there
Two worlds collided
And they could never tear us apart
Politely as she could manage, Runaveig minded her tongue and held her growing plethora of questions as Morrighan dove into the tale of her life before her mysterious arrival into Novus. A pale ear flicked forward as she listened intently, nodding every now and again. A great war of her homeland caused a flicker of something to press into the deepest recesses of Runaveig’s memories, but just as quickly as she was aware of the feeling, it was gone. None the wiser as to their similar origins, the dusk colored maiden simply smiled, although it was noticeably more uneasy now knowing the severity of Morrighan’s situation.
“That sounds dreadful,” she agreed, bottom lip jutting out in a momentary troubled look that stole across her pretty face, before it was gone as well, “And very peculiar. Suddenly waking into a strange land must be very disorienting. I’m sorry.” There was no reason for her to apologize, of course. Runa was very aware that this wasn’t her fault, but she had always been the sympathetic sort. Not pity, of course, because as clueless as she could sometimes be, she was very aware that Morrighan did not seem the sort to want or need any form of pity.
The topic was swift to move on, and the young entertainer allowed it to happen. She didn’t wish to dwell, not really, not when the topic of war and loss could be so touchy. No, now was a good time to focus on the present, the now, as opposed to the then.
“Hello, Morrighan.” Learning the grullo mare’s name was just another step to becoming friends, and that was truly what Runa desired over all else. Her heart felt lonely, as though something wasn’t quite right, a piece of the puzzle missing and void, and she had assumed that by meeting others and taking bits of them into her heart, it might feel more full. More happy. Content, almost. ”I’m so very happy to meet you.”
The young woman’s smile turned somewhat bashful at Morrighan’s inquiry and she shrugged a very slender shoulder. “Oh, um. I’ve actually lived in Denocte my entire life! I grew up in the Arma Mountains, with the Farren gypsies. Although I’m a recent addition to the Court, I’ve wandered these lands since the day I was born.” It really wasn’t that impressive. Runaveig had lived a rather normal, mundane life, but she was striving to achieve some kind of greatness, no matter how meager or unassuming it might be.
Casting her golden eyes onto the crowds around them, finally listening back to the din of the general conversations and evening life, the dusk maiden’s smile grew far more tender. This was home. These streets felt familiar to her in a way that she simply couldn’t explain, not with words. Perhaps that was why she so often turned to song when trying to convey how she was feeling.
“I suppose I can understand, but these streets aren’t so bad. I find myself quite enjoying the nightlife, and the performers are unlike any I have seen before. One day, well…” A faint blush colored Runa’s cheeks and she turned her face away, as though truly embarrassed. “... I would love to be a famous bard throughout all of Novus. Is that terribly foolish? I fear that it might be.” It was definitely what her inner demons told her, spitting scathing insults at her when her self-esteem was at its lowest. Was it healthy? Goodness, no, but she was doing her best to overcome it.
Shuffling her hooves from side to side, Runaveig once more focused on Morrighan and smiled from beneath the floral-gemstone veil she wore. A nearby snack tray had caught her attention, and the young entertainer was a sucker for a sweet treat. “Miss Morrighan? Would you care to share a sweet cake with me? Maybe after we could walk the streets. I know some very interesting vendors.”
Sympathy- it put a bitter taste in Morrighan's mouth. When the other mare apologized for what she was going through, she realized just how much more she shared than she should have. She didn't need the pity of others, it was pointless.
"Yeah well, shit happens. Nothing you can do about it really," Morrighan replied, trying to brush it all off. Fortunately, the topic was quick to change.
Once they had introduced themselves, it made their interaction a little more real. Runa commented that she was happy to meet her, but Morr was far from the touchy feely type. It pained her when the next words came out of her mouth, but somehow they fell out anyway. "Likewise." A friend in this strange land may not be the worst thing, but in truth, she hated others. Solitude worked the best for her since she usually got tired of dealing with others' bullshit.
She learned that Runa has lived in Denocte her whole life, which could become useful. Morrighan was still learning the lay of the land, but maybe this one would know the ins and outs of important places. She would have to keep this fact in the back of her mind.
Apparently, her dream was to become famous throughout Novus. In some circumstances, Morr might respect that dream, but this one was… a bit more odd since Runa wanted fame as a bard. Once again, this was not something she had in her old land and it was all so strange to her.
"Well, there are benefits to being famous. I personally wouldn't go that route, but whatever works," she replied with a shrug. Morrighan wasn't exactly the reassuring type, so if Runa was looking for much more than that, she would be shit out of luck.
Then, a smile came upon the mare's face and she asked if they could share a sweet cake and walk around. Morr paused for a moment, but realized she had no excuse to say no. "Sure, why not," she said with a shrug. She wasn't in a particularly sour mood, so maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Plus, this way she could learn the ins and outs after all as they walked the streets.
As she began to walk forward beside the mare, there was a bigger question on her mind. "What the hell is a sweet cake?"
The two walked onward down the street with Morrighan spending the rest of their night being introduced to sweet cakes and learning more about Denocte. She wasn't too sure of this mare yet, but maybe she wasn't too bad. Time would tell.
- Exit -
@Runaveig I think this is about wrapped up? We'll see if Runa can win her over in time LOL
