This strange land was undoubtedly beautiful and full of its own peculiar kind of wonder. Persephone, walking carefully and quietly through the expanse of grass, quite enjoyed the whisper of the wind flowing around her. It felt playful, full of promise, and harmless. She paused in the middle of the grass, ears perked and brilliant opal antlers flashing colors in the mid-afternoon sun. This place...reminded her of somewhere else, but she couldn't quite remember where. It was annoying, this nagging feeling at the very edges of her mind that told her she was missing something. Ever since she'd arrived to this strange new world she knew she was missing her memory but it was in places like these-- abundant, resplendent-- that the feeling of missing someone really became apparent. Someone warm and loving...
The mare shook her head with a snort, the sunlight glinting wildly off her antlers and casting beautiful rainbows onto the grass beneath. She didn't have a purpose coming here to this plain beyond her usual habit of wandering. No direction in particular, no rush, no...well, no purpose at all. Persephone walked forward once more, an unmissable figure amongst the gold and green with her deep black pelt. She was not exactly good at camouflage, but that was okay.
After cresting a small hill, she paused once more to watch a herd of small brown dots on the horizon. As the wind blew towards her she caught the scents of bison on the move. Should she go run with them? Would they mind? Her nostrils flared wide as she watched the dots move, her bright pupil-less eyes seeming to follow though it could be hard to tell. Hmm...no, she wouldn't follow them. She'd explore on her own for a little longer and then, perhaps, return to the court she was temporarily calling home. After all, where else could she go safely?
She is resting when she spots it, a dark mar moving against the pale summer grass that has dried with the heat of the summer.
Israfel squints from beneath her shaded, lounging place of respite, peering with curiosity at the figure that ambles through the brush, the cracks of their steps on brittle vegetation easy to hear amidst the chirping birds nearby and the gentle kiss of a summer breeze. For some time she is simply content to linger and watch, feeling oddly lazy given the hectic rush of the last few days.
The Sun Daughter was on her way home, intending to return to Denocte from her visit to Veneror, and before that the Bellum Steppe, when she decided to rest, instead. Luvena’s strict voice to ‘take things easy’ had forced her hand, more or less, as the last thing Israfel wanted was for Lu to be irritated or irked at her for ‘not taking care of herself’... So, she found a shady place to lay and rest before making the long trek home.
It would take time, of course, but Isra wasn’t in too big of a hurry… To an extent, of course.
Eventually, the ivory maiden grew bored of watching the stranger wander. She shifted, rolled a little to get her legs beneath her, and slowly did she push herself upright. Wings splayed and stretched, and heaving a breath, the Sun Daughter moved from her shaded place and stepped out into the dazzling, warm sunlight. The woman moved with confident steps, her pace a casual sashay, and vermilion eyes glittered like rubies amidst firelight as she moved closer to the stranger.
Dark. The stranger was a dark thing, but their mane and tail were a brilliant white that caught the sunlight with striking clarity. There was a shine about them, a glittering, multi-colored aspect that Isra couldnt’ place a name for… But as she grew closer, she could make out the kaleidoscope of colors, the glittering beauty that caught the light from the sun in breathtaking splendor. Their body was a cascade of colors, rippling and reflective, matching the elegant multi-tined antlers that sprouted from their brow. Curious, Israfel called out, finding herself in a strange sense of bravado since winning a crown from a king.
“You lost?” She called jovially, allowing a smile to turn up the corners of rose-kissed lips and knowing her voice would be loud enough to be heard despite the empty paces that now stood between them. “Howdy.”
Just as she was beginning to feel content with perhaps wandering until the ends of the earth...she heard something. Hoofbeats, the crunch of the dry grass below, and a quiet whish that she couldn't quite place as it wasn't the wind. For a moment she wondered if it was more bison, though the ones she'd been watching had disappeared already over the horizon. Persephone paused, head high as she surveyed the grassland in front of her, the wind pulling and curling wisps of her opalescent mane and tail. There wasn't anything coming at her that she could see but still she tensed, uncertain.
When the voice spoke out she spooked, sidestepping suddenly as she swung around towards the one who had approached. Though the voice was friendly, the words amicable, Persephone hadn't spoken with someone in a very long time. Strangers didn't usually make her nervous but she couldn't help feeling a little on edge for a moment, thoughts rushing through her mind too fast for her to focus on at first. When she realized the other horse was still a safe distance away, she visibly relaxed and lowered her head. "Hello," she said, having to make an effort to ensure her voice was loud enough to carry over. She didn't have the confident projection that the other mare had. "Yes, a little lost...I'm new around here..." she explained, eyes drifting away from those brilliant, jewel-like eyes of the other.
This other mare was quite beautiful, radiant and fiery in a way that was familiar to Persephone, though she had no idea why. The way she carried herself, the gold on her mane and her beautiful wings...she looked like some sort of goddess. Though they were still some distance apart, she could almost feel the intimidating aura emanating from her. Persephone was, understandably, a bit awestruck. "Are...are you a goddess?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, bashful as she lowered her head even more. "You look like one." There were gods here that she knew of, though of course she herself had never met one. Was this mare one of them? If so, was she benevolent?
After living in Novus for as long as she had, Israfel liked to believe she had a knack for spotting newcomers.
The means of arrival for newcomers varied, she knew; some arrived through the ship ports of Denocte, some by flight, some by portal, some by just waking up after being dead for years… It varied, but no matter one’s method of arrival, the following confusion and uncertainty remained the same.
“Well,” Israfel began with a drawl, letting her pace slow, lackadaisical and lazy as she ambled through the dry brush of the plain to move closer to the opalite stranger, “I guess let me be one of the first to welcome you to Novus, stranger.” She smiled, cocksure yet genuine, and ceased her approach only when she stood a few feet away. The last thing she wanted to do was alarm or concern, or frighten, this opalite lady, with her melodic way of speaking. Meek, perhaps? Or just nervous. Isra wasn’t one to judge, nor did she particularly care to at this moment.
It was the woman’s following inquiry, stammered and shy, that had Israfel halting the breath in her lungs. ’Are you a goddess?’ Something pulled at her heart, recalling days when everyone knew what she was and who she was, but those days had died with a world so very far away. Still, a tint of melancholy curdled the ivory maiden’s smile and she shook her head with a breathy, tumbling chuckle.
“No, no. Not anymore.” Vermilion eyes drifted for a few quiet moments out across the expanse before them before they snapped to attention, focusing back on this dark maiden and her ivory points, and the glittering accents of her pristine features. Mesmerizing, really; while her heart and desires lay elsewhere, Israfel knew when to appreciate a captivating individual. “Thank you, though. Your words are very kind. My name is Israfel; I live in the Night Court. A pleasure.”
The courtly words felt strange on her tongue, but she needed the practice. So recent of an ascension to Queen needed to have some sort of ‘proper’ speak, right? Israfel strongly doubted she could persuade anyone within Denocte to trust her as their Queen if she went off vulgarly spouting ’fuck’ or ’suck a dick’, or ’get fucked’ all the time, after all.
Persephone bowed her head respectfully as the other mare welcomed her to the new land. She hadn't been here for long yet-- maybe a few days where she learned about the existence of courts and a small bit of the history. There was still much to learn and to explore and she was trying to be as optimistic as she could despite how lost she felt, both inside and out. At least this mare was nice and respectful so far, she wasn't too close and the way she spoke was comforting. Persephone liked her accent and the way she drawled her words--it felt lyrical, like a musician's voice. At least she wasn't aggressive.
She didn't miss the way her question brought her off guard, however. The opal mare's head lifted to make eye contact, curious now by the pseudo-goddess' reaction. Her nostalgic expression, the melancholic look in her eyes as her focus drifted. At her reply, Persephone nodded understandingly, then caught herself with a small jerk of surprise. Why did she know exactly how losing godhood felt? Why did she empathize so clearly with this feeling? She glanced to the side, confused for a moment at her own subconscious response, then shook her head and focused back on the winged lady in front of her. She would have to meditate on this later.
"It is nice to meet you, miss Israfel," she said, performing a formal bow now, something that she just felt was appropriate for this encounter. Even if she wasn't a goddess now, her words said she used to be one and thus was worthy of respect. The words and the formality of it all felt...familiar as she spoke, like she conversed this way often. That nagging nostalgia tugged at her lost memory once again, but she brushed it away. "I'm Persephone. I...live in the Dusk court now, I suppose. It's been a weird time for me." she said with a strained chuckle. That was an understatement for sure.
