Came the call from across the lush green grass between the Court and the lake. It was a veritable display of all Denocte had to offer - a wild carnival of music, dancing, drinking and art that had drawn Reichenbach in like a moth to a flame. The night sky burned like wildfire, a sea of stars that burned with a distinct ferocity burnishing the event down below and catching in the crook of Reich's broad grin. Sovereign. The word, the title... he hadn't thought it would fit until he had carved it into his heart for the desire of it. They had come to a decision, the whole court, after seeing the subtle signs of change beginning in the Day Court - they had a new Sovereign, albeit one of strict military performance, why not Denocte? It had been so long since Rhen had vanished that the idea was instantly agreed upon, and the members of his court had begun to vote. Who knew what had made them vote for him - the orphan boy whom had arrived with little more than dreams clenched in his bruised fist.
Perhaps it was that Reichenbach knew almost all of the court by name - making a point to remember small details such as family members names or recalling their favourite kind of drink. In fact, Reich had unknowingly monitored the happenings of Denocte for as long as he could remember. Or maybe it had something to do with his dedication to their deity, Calligo, taking his own offerings to lay at her temple once a month, for the prosperity of Denocte and the safety of its citizens. It could have simply been because Reichenbach was one of them - loud mouthed, honey throated and wild. His wide grin as he celebrated with all of them was honest, genuine, overjoyed... perhaps a little glazed and wild.
This certainly wasn't Solterra, with it's military regime and strict rules - but Denocte had never been like the other courts. Theirs was a court made for the dreamers, the outcasts and the wild at heart. It thrummed with life, vibrant, it's song both clamouring and calm, a steady hum of beauty that Reich wouldn't have given up for the world. Theirs was a wild life, but a good one.
"To Denocte and The Night Court!" he toasted, his deep rumble of laughter heard even over the thrum of music.
Perhaps... perhaps it was because he was so easy to love, that wild thing bursting with life and song, enchanting and inescapable.
Open to all!! Come meet your new Sovereign xx
@Lothaire @Noxia @Camdis -- just tagging the few he has already met!
If you want to say your character has a history with Reich / knows him at all, please do! Reichenbach takes pride in knowing the members of his court! ALSO all positions are currently open so if anyone is interested I would LOVE to hear your thoughts about where your characters will fit into the court! xx
For a long time there had been nothing, or so he had been told, and then quite suddenly there was everything. Denocte had lain dormant for what seemed like an age following the abdication of their obsidian monarch, not that Lothaire had minded; one could learn a great deal during quiet chaos, and learn he had. Eyes the colour of slicked oil had studied each character cast in this bizarre, redundant play until he felt confident enough that he could name each piece in the collection. He viewed the celebrations impassively, his gaze awash with cool curiosity. Reichenbach, Sovereign of Night Court. Lothaire flushed air from his nostrils, the sound reverberating into the air as he tilted his earless head back. Yes, this wild-eyed man made of patchwork dreams and smoke may just be what the realm of Denocte needed.
And there Reichenbach stood, bold and brash as ever. Lothaire rolled his great shoulders as he took three steps closer to their newly crowned king, his stare but a string of dull black pearls whilst his lips peeled back to allow such an insipid barely audible whisper to fall from his serpentine tongue... "Long live the King"
He had never been much for revelry, but the stallion was beginning to notice the appeal.
The celebration that followed Reichenbach's coronation was no symphony, no orderly soiree with the gentle clinking of wine glasses and murmured talk of politics. No, the Night Court had poured into the streets and grassy paddocks, a roaring, cacophonous sea of laughter and dancing and music and joy. There was so much joy that it burst in the air, invisible and all encompassing, intoxicating and contagious.
So this was his home, this patchwork community held together by threads of passion and common heart. It was a Court that held it's feet to the ground and it's head in the clouds, a city of dreamers all swept up in the understanding that there was something more to life than the individual, that they were more together than apart.
That love was not a limited resource and that beauty did not have to blossom forth from conventional means.
The smile that graced Camdis' lips had reached his eyes, turning the pale coals that nestled there into flame, their endless depths taking in the scene with an almost starving sort of greed. Everywhere he looked, he could see and feel the pulsing heart of Denocte, the undulating beat of a nation alive.
And at the center of everything, the moon, the stars, the very sun; Reichenbach.
The horned stallion felt himself pulled toward his sovereign as if magnetized, his heart and his soul and his great adoration for the monarch that had brought his home to life, all tugging him to the side of his King. Slowing to a stop within a comfortable distance of his warrior monarch, Camdis offered a smile and a nod to both Reichenbach and the serpentine stallion that had presented himself to their shared sovereign.
"The people love you," he murmured just loud enough for immediate company to hear, pale eyes dancing in the firelight and wide with wonder, "You are our chosen. It is... amazing. You are Calligo's greatest creation and we are lucky to have you."
@Reichenbach @Lothaire
06-28-2017, 09:00 PM
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Obsidian [PM] Posts: 380 — Threads: 45 Signos: 25
It saturates the air, drifting, floating, dancing. It seeps into her mind changing all it touches. Such a magnet it becomes and Flora is little more than a fleck of metal beneath its overwhelming allure.
It turns her, tips her wings and pulls her down, down. The music is a virus upon the wind and Florentine is its ever susceptible and willing host. Within her, this music, like a cancer, grows.
Falling, falling, this girl of flowers is tumbling. Down from the sky so smeared with bloody light and bruised shadow. Down through the smoke strewn air. Down and down to the Court below, into their sea of bodies awash in revelry.
Petals rain like snow, swirling through the twining smoke that rises up, up as the girl cascades down, down. Amethyst flowers shed and shed, until the winds pull no more and the girl is tangled here in the party’s heart.
Bodies push and bodies sway and Florentine drifts with them. Her wings caress, push and pull as the din swallows her laughter and her smiles. This girl, forged of ice and fire, is made to dance and she does until her feet begin to hurt, until her dagger bruises her chest and yet still she does not stop!
On and on and on, this place of gaiety does not stop. Wildly Flora sinks into this heavy crowd; dusk blending into night. Her Dusk Court is forgotten. Should she be ashamed? How easy is it to forget a home so new?
Too easy.
A voice rises above the cacophony of sound and Florentine would not have heard it, had the crowds not swayed in his direction. He stands before them, proud, wild and raw. Florentine has stood before many kings, before many gods and she is laughing in the babble of voices.
Denocte He says. The Night Court..
And the toasts are vociferous and feverish.
Florentine knows now where she is, and her amethyst eyes are open at last. Open to the dark flung skies, open to the breathing shadow and the lives that thrive where so many fall to rest. More words slither from a serpent’s tongue and Flora’s gaze shifts from mercurial silver to beetle black and back to silver. Her lips part, words toying upon her tongue, but another voice cuts through the melee, and like a child her attention flits away.
More words from another tongue; ones of adoration and respect. The girl takes a breath, amethyst eyes gleaming from beneath the tangle of her flower-strewn mane. “In that case,” She chimes, “I believe congratulations are in order, Your Majesty.” She drops into a bow, graceful and swift, her wings flaring out - a golden skirt rimmed in orange. It is with mischievous humour that her lips tip into a smile.
It is still there, wicked and sweet, as Florentine rises. “Now, any of you boys want to tell me who this Calligo is?”
The strong pulse of drumming/cantering feet bleed optimism (rather than fear) into the naive heart of our fledgling princess. She, the jubilant one, is eager to prance onward, daring to strain the length of her unmeasured/unseen tether (and my agitated patience) with narrow legs that mimic those of an exuberant fawn. Her innocence hails that illuminated disruption with the embodiment of gullibility. My suspicion narrows on the stern, unyielding line of that false, glowing ridge. Since before sunset, those flushed blockades have contrived great blares of giddy, disrupting noise. When Miette darts forward (again) -with those wide, distracted eyes hardly seeming to notice my correction- I quicken beside her and maneuver the swallow with gentle, unargumentative nudges toward the rippled agitation of my lover, the eagle. “They excite her,” exasperation drips into the transparency of composure. Ears tilt, revealing a storm of unsettled emotion...even though the statement emerging from me is unwavering, “Devrions-nous voir?” Though his tongue has become more normal upon the tip of mine – the bias of preference is wholeheartedly ingrained.
”Pourrait être bon pour elle,” that admission is muttered in the undertow of a sucked breath as Miette tries once more to test the lead beyond his heavily feathered toes...her crystalline eyes reflect their flaming desire while babyish gums remain spread (ignorant to consequence) all the while. Doting and attentive we've stood as a shield/weapon against the danger(s) of our world…but this toddler is flourishing inside a fragile cocoon. True...there is naught pain or need. Her every whim is answered within moments – her every exploration is rewarding and full of delight. The idea of suffering is mythical to one of purity. Like frost upon leaves, eventually, the blanket of security would dissolve. With or without our consent. Ears swivel, listening for his answer...
...where the eagle would fly, in his shadow I will follow; his talons my merciful sanctuary. For as long as he'd tolerate me...
This. This is what she had missed. The dancing, the laughter and the festivities of a booming court. They were vastly different from what she had experienced back in her homeland of the Seasonal Courts. The Autumn Court's celebrations had been a way to show off their beauty, power and wealth. Vale remembered having her handmaiden's scrub her creamy coat until it was spotless and having them direct her to preen her wings, brush her mane and polish her hooves. There had been no way that the heir would have been seen as anything less then perfect and throughout the celebration she would have her parents direct her in the way she should hold herself in front of everyone. It was a far from enjoyable experience to say the least, but even now Vale couldn't escape the need to present herself in a manner that made her spent far too long on her appearance. Her coat was polished and spotless, her mane neat. The tiny stars upon her back seemed to almost shine upon that amethyst hide. She held herself in a manner that had been drilled into her from birth. Head held high, wings slightly spread away from her sides. The only thing that had really changed was that she was no longer in the Autumn Court.
A couple of foals dashed by her, laughing as they fought over the fruit they had stolen from the plates of food available for all. Vale felt herself smile at the sight, shaking her head as she looked throughout the crowd. It had been a long time since she had seen the court so filled with equines. Some she recognised and others she did not. She couldn't help but feel as though the quietened court had something to do with her and Rhen's disappearance but she immediately pushed away those thoughts. Directing her attention to the new Sovereign Reichenbach she took her time as she maneuvered through the crowd until she stood face to face with the bay stallion. "A well deserving title, I should think." She said, gazing across the crowd of chipper equines. Recognition lit her eyes at the sight of a red stained stallion, but she promptly ignored him, offering Reichenbach a warm smile. "Congratulations."
Towards the end of the sixtieth day (give or take), the friendly, hospitable and exceedingly welcome tranquility of these lands, seemed to fizzle to an end. As the rapid onset of another evening bruised the gauzy cloud-cover in darkening hues of purple and blue, a great noise had already stirred beneath that murky, artificial horizon and its unnatural, obnoxious resonation filled the atmosphere for miles - inconvenient for those who had young to settle into sleep…
After the darkness of night had well and truly smothered the light of day, a strange glow seemed to boil in the belly of those walls and the eagle watched warily as plumes of copper smoke billowed and curled away into the blackened sky. The baritone, bellowing echo of voices, though without the fractious tenor of war, did little to release the discomfort from an every-worrying mind.
Narrowing teal eyes turned from the dancing glow, shifting through deepening shadow to find the babe yet of spritely spirit, trying that chain of instruction, obedience; willing the thinning patience of hyper-vigilant parents to an end.
Nora responded swiftly, again, without word, though lines of frustration were beginning to fray those pretty, chiselled features of her face. One golden wing slid from the humid warmth of skin, opening to receive the preoccupied babe while lips lowered upon her collar to warn tenderly, and perhaps draw her out of that impenetrable bubble of childish curiosity; no other action tried along the way, had seen any success.
The strained note beneath his lover’s words struck his conscious, and while the smallest of their family is briefly tethered, the butt of his soft nose ventures across to soothe a caring kiss against her cheek. He could not deny that similar (if not greater), irritation was ploughing a savage trench through his tolerance. “Aye…” rumbling tone answers sympathetically.
“Should we see?”
His own thoughts were already training toward the same conclusion. Quietly and not altogether comfortable with the idea,
“Could be good for her.”
Burly shoulders rolled heavily, gravely around a brooding sigh.
Quick to forget the correction of blunt teeth and hot, swirling sternness amid the brighter sea of excitement, the frivolous swallow wriggled loose once again; for a second, chin steers a grinding path for that tuft of waggling tail as it veers from the cover he poses, but it falls short, dipping instead to graze the cropped grass of their nest.
“Ok…” he rumbled - before the chance of sensibility returned to cloud his slipping judgement.
Tired, he took the first baited steps in the direction of those sheer, stone, castle walls. With any luck, those beckoning lights would dim soon enough and ringing voices would mellow into lulling white noise; enough to pacify the child’s insatiable appetite for adventure.
*They will arrive in the next round I guess, unless posting order's not a thing.
@Nora
The air was light with the reverie. Joyous laughter, the song and dance of court goers. The heaviness in her heart lifted, her eyes closing as dreams of softness welled up in her mind's eye. Yes, she could see it. Almost as if she could step out of her own body into the dream itself, an astral plane of a perfect world, the perfect scenario. But no, she was here. Tied to the physical realm, to reality. It was the closest she would get to heaven, she presumed. The glade was overflowing with excited banter and revelry, a carnival of smiles and a celebration fitting to be had under the stars. And oh, how the stars smiled down upon them all. They appeared to glimmer brighter than the dame had ever seen them before -- shining pearls in purple sea. She stood on the edge of the festival, sapphire orbs observant as a small smile tugged at her lips.
Aislinn tucked her wings closer to her delicate-but-mighty frame, the only outward physical sign of her discomfort. She was overwhelmed by the newness of Court life; having grown up on the go, constantly moving. And around strong, feminine pillars.. ones that no longer surrounded her. She drew in a long and steady breath, held it, and slowly exhaled. Calm washed over it as she repeated the practice, her wings loosening and stretching at her sides. Her eyes wandered on the other souls, until her focus landed on a dark bay stallion opposite the glade of her. Sleek muscles, a kind smile. Their new Sovereign, her new king. Her heart fluttered. She could not deny he was handsome.. as well as the other males in their court. A true smile snuck out of her facade as her King toasted to them all, his voice a deep rumble as he laughed. Pure happiness. Joy. So this is what her mother Luna had talked to her about when she was young.. to dream. To dance. To lose yourself in the music.
Suddenly, she was moving. No longer on the outskirts of the fray, but in the thick of it. Dancing, her thoughts lost and wild and free as a summer night's breeze. Aislinn was not only drunk off of the pure happiness radiating off of the crowd, but she was intoxicated with her own. Her voice resonated the call -- long live the king -- closing her eyes. Relaxed and at home with herself, the celebration reminded her of the festivals the gypsies would hold. A home away from home. One by one, when she opened her eyes, she saw the members of Court approach their new King. When he was alone again, the greying dark mare trotted outside of the dance, light on her hooves. As she approached him, she felt her breath catch in her throat. She bowed, wings spreading and dipping with her in respect, and also to hide her own embarrassment. "Long may you reign, my King."
Smoke and jasmine enveloped him like a cloak of warmth, his smile easy and constant as he greeted each member of Denocte, laughing at the stories some of the merchants brought up - escapades from his teen years. He'd had sticky fingers back then, his body lean and hard and his tongue like quicksilver, a grinning, dirty faced boy-turned-man that set the world aflame with his longing and lust. Reichenbach shook his great head, setting those wild curls bouncing, and excused himself with a smile.
He was standing beside one of the great burning bonfires when @Lothaire approached, earning a surprised and pleased smile from Reichenbach's sooty mouth. He hadn't thought the serpentine man much of a party-goer - in fact, Lothaire had declared his separation from the busy court life almost as soon as he'd arrived with Rhen. Reich was glad the reclusiveness had not extended to his coronation, and even gladder that he had the support of such an intelligent, level-headed man behind him.
"Let's hope so" he laughed, rubbing shoulders with the slick, smooth skin of his companion. They stood companionably for a moment in the chaos, Reich watching a high flying ribbon of silk float on the air after one of Denocte's gypsy girls, her own ebony locks abound with flowers and leaves.
"Actually, Lo... There's something I would like to ask you -" he paused, considering their surroundings for a moment before continuing "Are you free tomorrow...." another pause as he considered what time he would leave the celebration (dawn, or until he was on the verge of falling asleep) "Afternoon?"
The flames caught on burnished horns and Reich slid his silver gaze to the approach of @Camdis Lohir - one of the newest members of their court, his slick skin and argent gaze an almost constant presence in Reichenbach's head. It could have been that Camdis was an intimidating man, or that for some reason the two always seemed to stumble into one another, whatever the reason, Reichenbach flashed a crooked grin as he spoke;
"And I, them, Camdis."
His grin turned abashed before he murmured "This court is Calligo's greatest creation, I am just here to ensure the world see's that - and that our people get the lives they deserve."
He could have continued - would have, for his lips were loose and limber with joy and charm - but his attention was taken by a figure he should have noticed earlier, a dainty thing with avian bones and mischief clinging like dew to her youthful lips. Reichenbach grinned, instantly feeling akin to the svelte skinned woman-child. Her bow is something impish and swift, and only then does he single out her scent among the babble of woodsmoke, sandalwood and other perfumes floating by - Dusk. But otherworldly too, like she'd been travelling through a crisp, dewy morning. The new Sovereign considered her, tilting his great head to the side with a wry, amused smile as she rose and spilled wickedness - no doubt inspiring Camdis' fury.
"Are Denocte parties to your liking, Terrastellan?" @Florentine
There was no ire in his voice, no sign that he might have been alarmed or angered at the intrusion by a foreign court, only deep, musical amusement.
"You could find out for yourself if you stick around -" a warm glance was thrown to his two companions and a dangerous smile played about his lips as he added "Camdis Lohir here is one of our most devoted citizens - I'm sure he would love to describe Calligo in detail" he paused as a familiar face arrived, a flicker of shame and sadness striking his chest and darkening his long lashed eyes. He excused himself politely, stepping a little away from his small group to greet @Erynvale .
"Erynvale," he rumbled, placing that shame and sadness carefully behind his ribs. The last thing she needed was pity, or a reminder of times past. "Looking lovely as always," his eyes slid approvingly across her flawless skin, the time and care she had spent on her hair - it looked like spun silk, immaculate and soft and begging to be touched. His eyes warmed at her generous congratulations, knowing full well what it would mean to see someone taking Rhen's place, what feelings it might inspire, what loss. A quick glance about him had his ebony curls bouncing and brushing his cheekbones, his coins tinkling pleasantly in the firelight. "I have been meaning to seek you out - I've an offer for you. Perhaps we could meet tomorrow? Tonight is a time for celebration, and I wouldn't want to mar it with stuffy old politics" he grinned, gesturing for her to come join the small group by the bonfire. As he made to make his way back to the group, a stranger approached - two in one night!
The long-legged mare that approached smelled distinctly of Denocte... though perhaps not of the Court itself. Warm as always, Reichenbach turned toward her, a silly pleased smile spreading his handsome face at her words. "And may you always find happiness in our Court" he responded with curious eyes. His eyes swept her strong body and lingered on the feathers around her neck - the coins. A hefty thud in his chest had him asking "Your coins... you're a gypsy..." a grin erupted upon his face as he tossed his head, shaking free the coins that tangled in his wild mane, dipping his head in an almost-bow, skin tingling. The revelries continued around them, music vibrating his chest and bones like thunder, and for a moment he lowered his lashes, taking in the beauty before him - this girl was a true gypsy, not like the rest of the girls in Denocte who, while beautiful and wild and free, had rarely known what it was to truly live on the road. The fire gilded him red and orange, the smell of woodsmoke and jasmine playing within his ebony locks as he asked her; "Will you join us...?" his gesture toward the group by the flames was something fluid and easy, though he burned with the desire to know her story. @Aislinn
@Lothaire @Camdis @Florentine @Erynvale @Nora @Noah @Aislinn oops sorry for mega long post, I'll tag each of you at the para's your characters are involved in!
The song and dance of the revelry ran hotly in her veins, her blood boiling with the sweet ecstasy radiating off of the court. She rose slowly and gracefully, her great wings folding flush with her dappled sides. Her cheeks grew warm at his words, so kind and refreshing that she simply did not know what to say. At a loss for speech, Aislinn dipped her eyes, stealing at look at their king through dark lashes. Surprise blossomed over his face, his gaze curious and fixated on the necklace of coins and feathers around her neck. A wide grin spread on his velvet lips, and she could not help but return with a soft smile.
Inside her however, the gypsy's heart thrummed madly against her ribs. He knew. Knew what she was, who she was. Her king shook his wild curls and a strand of clinking coins broke free for her to see. A gasp caught in her throat, recognition flooding over her. So many questions were stuck like glue on her lips, unspoken and burning to be asked. Starlight and fire and laughter whirled around them, and here she stood, breathless and elated and curious. She had only heard stories of him in passing.. but now, Aislinn craved to learn the story behind the handsome face of their King.
Her mind replayed his words again. Once. Twice. Will you join us..? Absolutely. Without words, she nodded softly, dipping her gaze in respect, before strolling over to the group huddled by a thundering bonfire.
OOC: Replying because I'm honestly not quite sure about posting order.. please don't hurt me *hides*
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