She stands beneath the surf, the waves crashing overhead. Despite the surf, there is a stillness about being here beneath the waves. There’s a quietness that seems to settle over her and for a moment, Katniss feels more at peace than she ever has. Her life had been chaotic recently. It was almost as if she was on a merry-go-round without the ability to stop it. Her life was spinning out of control and she could do nothing to slow it down. Her mind was so restless lately, her thoughts betraying everything she thought she was. And yet, she had to get away before it would be her ultimate undoing.
And so, she stood here amongst the fishes, letting the sounds of the waves lull her mind into some sort of functioning entity. Her magic created a set of gills that breathed for her, the sound of water rushing over the gills was soothing. And yet, even in the stillness of this moment, Katniss knew she could not stay here forever. She had a son who needed her, a court who depended on her, and a life she had to keep on living, no matter how painful it might be.
And with a sigh, Katniss began to walk towards the beach, her body slowly slipping from the waves as elegantly as Ariel seemed to appear out of the sea in her blue shimmering dress in The Little Mermaid. Water seemed to roll off her muscles, pooling only along the hundreds of scars that her skin sported. As her lungs began to work again, her gills seemed to disappear and once more, Katniss was like any other being. No longer did she embrace her kelpie heritage. No longer did she hold onto her past.
By the time she exited the water almost completely, Katniss was tired, her body exhausted from the inner turmoil. And yet, she looked confident and strong, holding her head high with her muscles stiff. She looked regal, every bit the warrior she was. And yet, no one knew of the war she was fighting within, the war that she was undoubtedly losing.
enough with the lies tell me one
more time my blood your line is this you inside
W
aves crashed against the shore, the sandy beaches thick in moisture. Salome walked quietly. Night had fallen and she was at peace - or supposed to be. With plans to meet Gareth in the next full moon, her mind was a whirl of unwanted emotion. What would she say? What could she say? How was she to explain her actions, her return to Novus?
But Salome knew. She knew that others had lives they were not proud of. That they didn't want. That burdened them. She was not so vain to assume she had the worst thing ever. As she eyed the woman before her a few steps away, she was struck with a radiating sadness from them. They smelt of Night Court. The bat breathed in once before walking closer.
Unaware of their station. Unaware of their place in the court she had called home once again. Salome had lived in a nomadic tribe in the mountains there. Not particularly in the court itself. "Greetings..." the bat say, hooded eyes looking upon the stranger. Perhaps she was a moth drawn to the flames of misery.
ooc; hope it was okay to set at night so i could join!
due to being a vampire, she can only thread during the night
As Katniss came to stand along the beach, she was surprised to see that night had fallen. How long had she been amongst the fish and mermaids? Clearly she had let time get ahold of her. She should be getting back to Denocte. She needed to get back to her son and to her court. Had she realized how long she had spent trying to clear her head, she might have already been home. Surely Kibou would be missing her.
But despite the uncertainty, Katniss did not regret her time. Being beneath the waves had given her clarity in a way that the surface could not. She had been able to see and understand things that she couldn’t just hours before. In the end, she could not regret her time. She had to relish it and know that it was vital to her mental health.
Eyes looked up as the moon shone brightly overhead. It had been a long time since she had looked up to see the moon and the stars. Spending most of her time in the center of Denocte, the lights had seemed to drown out the natural beauty of nightfall. Katniss can feel the way her lips want to grin, but it is as if the muscles cannot bring themselves to do the action.
Ears prick forward as she hears the words of another. Lowering her eyes from the stars to the stranger, she gives the other a soft nod in greeting. “Good evening.” Katniss had thought she was alone, but she had been wrong. There were others scattered about. She should not have been naïve enough to think she would be here alone, but it did take her by surprise.
Slowly, she stepped closer to the stranger, eyes working to memorize her face. Her ears were longer than most, and Katniss was almost certain that the mare before her was a mule. Her eyes were silver and beautiful. She was a beautiful person, compared the plainness of herself. She was nothing special with a body covered in scars. She was not beautiful, at least she did not believe herself to be. “What brings you to the seaside?” She tries to be friendly, trying to welcome her into conversation. After all, how often does one stumble on another who walks out of the sea beneath the stars? Not often, she thinks.
enough with the lies tell me one
more time my blood your line is this you inside
W
hat did bring her here? She was at a loss for what exactly that thing was. Salome was quiet, watching the stranger move closer. She angled her own body to look at the waves head on. Not staring at the stranger any longer but speaking to her.
She was a quiet being at the core. Her hooded eyes and hooded robe stared or billowed softly in the night's wind. "No particular reason" the bat answered at last, her voice seemingly far away. In another life that was no longer her own. "it is strange" she goes on quietly "but I felt I had to visit tonight."
Her rose-colored silver eyes glance to the side. "Perhaps I am meant to have met you" but fate was never that kind. Even as a child, she never really made many friends "you are of Night, correct? I am as well."
due to being a vampire, she can only thread during the night
Katniss understands the mare, perhaps more than she lets on. She knows how the seaside can call to someone. She knows that imaginary pull that draws you somewhere and you can’t really explain it. She often felt that way when she walked by the creek. She often wondered if Metaphor’s soul still dwelled here in Novus and he was calling her closer to remind her that he still loved her. But tonight, her heart could not ache for Metaphor. She had cried all the tears she could over his death. Now she had to move on. “I understand that feeling.” Her tone is soft, her voice fading into the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand.
When she speaks again, telling Katniss that maybe it was fate that brought them together tonight. Fate. Katniss often wondered if she believed in such a thing. Fate was cruel. Fate tore her and Metaphor apart only to bring them together once more. As if that hadn’t been bad enough, it had been fate that allowed him to die while she still lived on, a shell of the person she once was. Fate was cruel, she hated fate. “Perhaps so.” She offers the other a soft smile, trying to hide the war that raged on inside.
She looked out to the sea once more, looking out as the moonlight seemed to reflect against the waves. The sound was soothing and Katniss wondered if she was really meant to live in the sea. But the mare’s words catch her attention and she turns back to her. “Aye…” Night Court. Yes, she was from there. But here at the sea, she was so far away from home. It was another reminder that she needed to return home. “My name is Katniss.” She leaves out the part that she is champion of battle. Titles were made up to make lines between the wealthy and the poor. They divided kingdoms and Katniss only wanted unity. So as she has always been, Katniss will always introduce herself as just Katniss.
But there is something about the other that strikes her curiosity. She’s new. She doesn’t smell of the might markets or of the mountains. In fact, her scent is pretty neutral all together. “Are you new? Perhaps on your way there?” If anything, Katniss is always welcoming. “I can show you the way, if you want.” Katniss always wanted to be that friendly face that people remembered. She wanted to be the face that people could depend on, that shoulder to cry on, that backboard to bounce ideas off of. Yes, Katniss wanted to be the friend that everyone needed, perhaps not that everyone wanted, but the one they would need in times of heartache and tribulation.
enough with the lies tell me one
more time my blood your line is this you inside
A
s a fortune teller by trade, she has need to believe in fate. Of some form. It was not fate that brought her back to Novus though. She made her own fate. Her own choices. But for others? She believed Lady Luck had a say in some things. "Salome" was given to the woman named Katniss.
"I... have lived in Novus for most of my life" she utters now, casting her gaze back to the waves "in the mountains of Denocte" Life, huh? Life was a funny thing to her now. "I know my way back" Salome says but does not pause next "though going back may take extra courage. If you want to come... I will not protest." A quiet invite, accepting Katniss' words but putting a spin on it herself.
She needed some courage. "I have not been here for some time. I suspect much has changed."
due to being a vampire, she can only thread during the night
Salome. It was an interesting name but it seemed to roll easily off her tongue. The syllables were more elegant than her own name, but Katniss didn’t mind. Each individual had their own unique names, their own unique histories. Each one was different from the next and it made for an interesting group that called themselves Denocte. She would remember the mares name, long after she had come and gone.
However, when she asks if she is new, she surprised to learn that Salome has lived here most of her life. Katniss has been here for years, but Salome’s face is not a face she recognizes. Not only that, but she does not smell of Novus. Perhaps she is bathed in perfumes and oils that mask the scent.
As she further explains that most of her life she’s lived in the mountains of Denocte, Katniss looks at her curiously. “I spend a lot of time in the mountains. Why is it that I haven’t seen you before?” Perhaps she had devoted herself to Caligo. Many go into the mountains to worship and pray. Perhaps Salome is one of those types.
At her suggesting of accompanying her to Denocte as a means to give her courage, Katniss nods. “Why do you need extra courage?” What had happened that made her fearful. Was it something that she needed to learn about? Did she need to stay on guard. She remained relaxed, telling herself that she would not go jumping to conclusions until she had all the facts.
As she falls into step with Salome, silence seems to surround them. It’s not awkward, but peaceful. It is Salome who breaks the silence with a statement that could not be more true. “Aye, it is so different than when I first arrived.” Isra had been Sovereign and Terrestella was living within Denocte as a haven from the floods. That had been what she walked in on. But now, so many things had changed. Rulers had changed and people had come and gone. There was little left that was the same, but she supposed it all meant that Denocte was growing. “How long have you been gone?” Perhaps if she knew how long the mare had been away from Denocte, perhaps she could fill her in on the more pertinent changes.
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