[P] tale as old as time. [festival]

[Nimue]

N I M U E 

CERTAIN AS THE SUN, RISING IN THE EAST
TALE AS OLD AS TIME, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -

She despised crowds; loathed them, hated them.. desiring to curse all of the souls that flocked to their court. A good hex would do it, but alas, her magic did not work in such a way. Even a wildfire gone haywire could have gotten the job done. The smoke and threat of burning into a pile of ash and dust driving all of the snooping, unwanted beasties from the other kingdoms back into their own lands. Away from her court.. and most importantly, away from her. But alas, her crankiness did not hold sway over the powers that be. Without regards to her comfort, the borders of her new-found kingdom had been opened. Stupidly, unguarded, with no thought of thinking to protect what she held most dear — herself, and the multitude of ancient books in their castle's grand plethora of libraries. The protection and welfare of Dawn was not her job however. She was in charge of knowledge, a keeper of wisdom, and unfortunately, a teacher as well. Why her king had decided a witch was the best one for the job, to teach younglings.. she would never know.

Despite her hatred for crowds and celebration and anything that teemed with glowing happiness, the rose-touched witch found herself weaving through the outskirts of the festival. Her curiosity, an unfortunate, cursed part of her now mortal soul, had burned and gotten the best of her. A wildfire of unknowns that had torn and shredded even the most shadowed parts of her until she could not ignore the music of thrumming drums and the rich smoke of spiced rum and cider. Delicate hooves padded against the soft earth as she took in the festivities with her haunting gaze. Orbs of milky white and blue-violets in spring bright and catching nothing. Her magic swirled in her blood and bones, teeming with power and aching for use. Usually, she would have answered it, unleashing her Sight. But not now, not yet. Instead, she traveled; through the crowds she despised, her nose peeking into tents and through eateries that smelled of roasted pumpkin and sugar and apples.

She could not deny that the drums thrummed with the beat of her heart; although she would not ever, not once, admit to such a thing. One tent in particular caught her eye; a woman glad in coins and swathed silk, her mind tediously shuffling a gorgeous deck of cards that were lined in shining gold and hand painted with pictures. Nimue caught the crone's gaze, a mischievous smile tugging her lips upward as she entered the smoke-filled tent, her eyes noticing the constellations glowing above her.

Your soul is Old, is it not?

A muscle twitched in her upper lip as she shook her wild mane at the mystic's words. The amethyst at her throat pulsing and glowing, illuminating the delicate curves and planes of her face. "Your power is borrowed, is it not?" she replied, her Sight snapping and curling towards the other woman. Nimue's orbs narrowed as she peered at the deck the woman was arranging with tenders tendrils of her mind, and back up to her face. "I seek answers from your cards," she stated, "or should I find another mystic?"

The woman's brow furrowed at the rose witch, her pointed gaze flicking towards a wicker basket of golden coins. Payment, then answers.

Nimue produced a thin, small silver coin and tossed it into the pile with a soft clink. "Does he love me?" An all-knowing, wicked grin tugged the crone's lips crudely, revealing rows of rotting teeth. She shuffled the deck in the air between them, the mist surrounding them thickening as she cut the tarots into thirds. With expert precision, she pulled three cards, laying them on a boulder between them both; a cloth depicting the night sky covering it in shimmering gold and silver threads. One by one, she flipped them, revealing them to her as her voice enveloped her with shadow:

You are doomed.. old, wicked One.

The woman's eyes flickered with something that she could not catch. Nimue nearly slapped over a goblet on a neighboring table, Her frustration and anger were a palpable, unchained beast. "Your magic is full of lies," she spat, before she rushed out of the tent in a flurry of smoke and rage. Nimue cantered through the crowd, despite the screams of surprise and knocking over a guest or two; blinded, literally, by her crimson anger. She found herself finding solace beneath a tree burnished in gold in the dying sunlight, her chest heaving and her muscles burning with anger. Her lungs filled with incense and her heart shriveled into almost nothing. For if he did not love her, then she would be damned to this mortal existence for nothing.. and she did not know how to fix such a thing.

For even though she was as old as time, Nimue was a beast in a world where he was the only beauty she could ever See.. and she did not have an inkling on how to mend such a lovely, broken thing that lay unspoken between them both. Her heart thundered at the thought.

Astarael.. what do I do? How do I fix what is between us?

---

@astarael <3 since they haven't met in a  wee bit c:
"Nimue speech."

love, space

[Astarael]

He, on the other hand, did not mind crowds. Not that he sought them out, but he enjoyed seeing the other horses, knowing that there were others; that they weren’t alone in this place. It was comforting, if a bit crowded. He wove through the throngs of others – familiar and stranger alike. He smiled and gave a nod of his head in exchange for similar. Most were too caught up in the dancing; the feasting; the courtship that they ignored the starry boy. He didn’t mind. It gave him time to let his mind wander back to the time before. Before all of this; back when ancient evils roamed the earth and he was amongst the few protectors. His name, his voice, his very soul had been given to trap the evil that threatened everyone’s existence. He had been with others; and when he awoke; he was here; a place he had never seen, never known. He almost longed to have the dead walking amongst them again – he would feel useful, as if his life had meaning; purpose. But alas – there was nothing dead here, for too much life thrived. Walking through the crowds toward the outskirts, he stopped near a fortune-teller. His blue eyes watched her for a moment before he continued on, not seeing the mare that was so desperately seeking answers. Circling through the crowds again, he stopped, surveying everything. Though he was a peaceable creature, he felt the need to ensure everyone around him was safe. His blue eyes touched upon each individual, and widened slightly when they fell upon the witch-mare. A smile tugged at his lips. He had not forgotten their last encounter, where she had stormed off in an angry huff, but nor would he truly hold it against her. The topic had apparently been a sore one that he unwittingly needled. Twisting his way through the crowds again, he appeared near her – near enough to speak where she could hear him, but with the activity around them, they were not likely to be overheard. ”Well hello there. Are you enjoying yourself?” He hadn’t seen her at the fortune-teller’s stand, could not imagine the probing questions the witch-mare asked the lady. He was simply happy to have stumbled upon her again, despite the crowded circumstances. ”Would you like to go somewhere a little quieter…or do you have other plans for this lovely evening?” A hint of a smile tugged at his lips again. He was not “hinting” at anything…just the fact that it was immensely loud here between the music (who was playing it?) and the voices surrounding them. While he truly enjoyed the herd life, there were times that a little solitude was in order.

Astarael Dawn Court

@Nimue <3

[Nimue]

N I M U E 

CERTAIN AS THE SUN, RISING IN THE EAST
TALE AS OLD AS TIME, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -

A beast in pretty, rose-colored skin. A monster kissed by dapples the color of muted stars. That was who she was. Now, more than ever, as she paced a deep circular path beneath a golden tree. Her frustration broiling with every clipped step she took, every sharp intake of breath that swept into her nostrils. The desperation hidden beneath tasting of shards of glass; tiny pin pricks of pain shuddering through the thin paper of her lungs, her ribs. Air trapped and on fire in the cavity of her chest. She was on fire with her hatred.. not of the mystic who spoke half-truths, brutally honest truths.. but hatred for herself. Of the cruel woman she had become. The reputation that followed in her wake.

The Witch Child who saw All; her bewitching gaze as quick as any blade. A complete lie. Her whole mortal life... a lie.

She had been damned to this world because she fell in love. A witch, a once-immortal seeress.. blessed to even have tasted the wonders of love in the first place. How could she be upset? How could she act on vengeance? Revenge on whom? The Universe? Her father, the Maker of Time? Maybe even her brother.. who's shared knowledge across the timelines was equal to her own. Surely, he must have seen her fate.. and let it happen. Let her seal her own curse, the second she had laid eyes on that handsome, night-blessed man.

But no.. she only had herself to blame. Not Phobos, not her brother, and surely not the mystic with her silly deck of cards.

Nimue stood there then, wallowing in her own grey spirits, her mind attacking itself with every brutal truth and lie without abandon. She was drowning in her own emotions and the wild storm of her heart. The witch's frustration and longing manifesting into her own personal storm.. so much so, she barely heard the whisper of a figure coming up to her in the darkness and the firelight.

Well hello there. Are you enjoying yourself?

His voice cut through the music, the pounding drums, and the screaming of her own thoughts. Like a knife, she heard him, crystal clear despite the noise thundering in her ears. Nimue whirled, her blood singing in sudden excitement, eyes widening as she prepared to look at him.. the man she loved. But as her gaze settled upon him, eyes catching on his own and the stars kissing his skin.. she realized, with sickening clarity, how their last meeting had fared. How her burst of rage blinded her in crimson; how her emotions had broiled, and how she stormed away like a hurricane into the shadows, leaving him alone in the forest glade. Her gut twisted at the memory like a rusted dagger had struck her in her stomach.

The truth of who she had once been stared at her in the face; the ghost of that first meeting hidden in the mismatched hues of her eyes and underneath the facade plastered on her face. Don't you ever, ever — we barely know each other —

She shook her crown, wildly, in attempt to rid the phantom of her poisonous words from her brain, but to no avail. Instead, a hint of a smile played at her lips in distraction. He was the distraction.. because regardless of how she felt, or how wounded she had become, Nimue was glad. Happy, even, but content. Grateful, that Astarael had sought her out in the crowd of bodies to find her. She couldn't hide how thankful she was, no matter if a rain cloud was churning above her head or not. Her eyes simply widen and dilated at the sight of him; how the firelight flickered against the stars mottling his skin, caressing the darkness of his coat and flirting with the constellations laid out like a map over his entire body. He was a god in her eyes. Ethereal and unreal and so many wicked lovely things that she simply did not know what to say.

Would you like to go somewhere a little quieter…or do you have other plans for this lovely evening?

Nimue realized then that words had truly failed her, as she nearly choked on a reply. She cleared her throat, heat rising to her cheeks as she momentarily blinked her gaze away. Astarael was the only one who did such things to her; her mask a mess, her witch reputation out the window. He made her feel like her legs were made of liquid instead of flesh and bone. Her heart a mad little bird that fluttered against her ribs and robbed the oxygen in her lungs. But she reigned it, clearing her throat and forcing herself to speak, despite the enchantment he had unknowingly curled around her heart, her soul, and her entire body.

A grin blossomed across her pink lips then; no longer a ghost, but something incredibly real and wonderful. "M-my slate is clean," she replies, her voice raspy as smoke coated her lungs and he stole what little breath she had, "my date is with fire and stars, should you wish to join me." Suddenly bold, untamed, as the festival brought to life something in her she did not recognize. Maybe it was him, maybe not, she didn't know.

But she realized then, with crystalline clarity, that she didn't care about her hatred for crowds, or the mystic and her cards, or how she had desired nothing more than to disappear into the confines of her library not moments before.

There was only him, and her, and the fire and stars that fell down around them both in heat and the mysterious allure of night fall.

---

@astarael <3
"Nimue speech."

love, space

[Astarael]

While their stories had nearly no similarities, they were strikingly similar. While she was doomed because of love, he was doomed for similar reasons. But he didn’t see this life as being doomed – it was simply a new chapter. He had been with the others when they bound the Great Shiner – the greatest evil the world had ever faced; they had bound him deep beneath the earth, and when he woke, he had two extra legs and his hair had turned into a mane. Not to mention the tail. He hadn’t known what to think about it at the time, but now, it was normal to him. He had adapted. He had learned that it didn’t matter what life had in store for him – it was his job to live it to the fullest, and that is what he was trying to do. He remembered their last encounter – where she had stormed off, a raging ball of emotion, and he’d let her. There was no need to chase her down and risk making things worse. So he had allowed her all the space she wanted until he saw her here – apparently lost in thought. He hoped he wasn’t bothering her, as she looked like she had too much on her mind, but she almost seemed happy to see him. He hoped it wasn’t a trick of the firelight that was still flickering about. He watched her throwing her head around, mane flying wildly around her face, falling in dangerously tangled rivulets down her neck. There was something feral about her tonight, something wild and untamable that was alluring to him. It was a hint of perfume that he couldn’t place; a quick scent that disappeared faster than he had noticed it. He wanted to reach out and toy with her mane, but remained still for now; in amiable silence until she spoke. She sounded almost breathy, and he could only assume that it was because of the smoke from the shifting fire; or perhaps it was the cider that had been warmed too much, burning her throat on the way down. He was as innocent as a newborn foal; having no idea what she was feeling for him. He could not even begin to guess what was going on inside her mind, and if he could, he would probably be shocked. Nobody had truly ever loved him before. Of course, the people did – the ones he and his group rescued from the undead, but that wasn’t so much love as gratitude to be able to live another day. But he didn’t mind. ”I would love nothing more than to intrude on your date.” He reached forward now, his neck slowly uncoiling and his lips reaching for her mane, tugging at a tangle gently. He wasn’t sure where he stood right now, but had decided that he would just be himself, no matter her reaction. If she was upset, then he would know where the boundaries lie. Moving slowly, he made his way past the fire toward a darker place where they could see the stars, and the crowd at a distance. He maintained the amiable silence, having nothing further to say at the moment. As the minutes ticked by, he slowed his already slow walk to a halt, blue eyes skyward. He sighed wistfully, knowing his coat would not reflect the sky. He missed it – it was like having a built-in GPS. Why had the magic been taken from him? Had he done something wrong and this was his punishment? He knew the bright shiner had not been released – or he would have a large red spot on his coat wherever he was. Strange. ”I spent many hours as a colt staring up at the stars, learning each constellation.” It was a soft admission, still wishful. ”My coat used to reflect the sky wherever I was; but here…here it is different.”

Astarael Dawn Court

@Nimue

[Nimue]

N I M U E 

CERTAIN AS THE SUN, RISING IN THE EAST
TALE AS OLD AS TIME, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -

Nimue was alight in fire and ice and wonder, so much wonder, that her skin shivered along every faded dapple along her body as she looked at him. The bonfire singed her rose skin like a wilted flower, sending hot tingles through every nerve, and equally met with the chill of autumn night air, chasing the heat away with cold kisses. But as each flicker of firelight shone in his eyes and her own, Nimue was trapped; bound in the cage of her heart, wrapped in thorns and falling rose petals. Her love for him was an eternal beast, and she the mistress desperately trying to tame such a monster that she had once despised with a vengeance beyond mortal compare.

Her heartbeat was rapid, fluttering, mad even. But still she blinked at him, her gaze bright and deep with the fathoms of every word she had ever wished to say to him unsaid. Instead of breathing life to such things, courage failing her, she bit her lip. Lids heavy and downcast, before she braved meeting his eyes through thick lashes once more.

I would love nothing more than to intrude on your date.

The excitement broiling in her blood from his words reminded her of when she was a mortal child; how curiosity and wonder were naive little things that brought joy with each new discovery. With it came a bout of annoyance, but here, that feeling dared not touch her now. A smile broadened her pinkish lips, genuine and bright in the flickering firelight. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock as she felt a thick tangle of her mane straighten along the curve of her neck. Her good orb blinking wildly as she just barely caught the sight of his lips brushing where her mane lay tangled there. The oxygen in her lungs hitched, only momentarily, as she realized their proximity and such a gesture. Her entire focus on that one stray curl, then on her hooves, as she forced herself to remain fluid as they walked to a much more secluded, quieter corner of the festivities.

The silence between them was a welcome one; not an ocean of sweet nothings and words. Although her heartbeat raced, with each slow inhale and exhale the bird in her chest began to flutter slowly. They strolled past the bonfires as large as mythical mountain trolls, past tents of delectables, and past a growing crowd of dancers that moved with each beat of the music thrumming against her skin. The festival itself was alive; a breathing dragon of celebration and fire and revelry. Such was not the usual way of their kingdom, possibly more aligned with those who called the long Night their home. But it seemed that her realm had adopted their customs — their passion and wildness — if only for a few nights to celebrate the reap of harvest past.

I spent many hours as a colt staring up at the stars, learning each constellation. My coat used to reflect the sky wherever I was; but here…here it is different.

She realized that her hooves had halted alongside him, their bodies on the brink of the crowd, but also far enough away from the fires so that they were completely embraced in the shadows. From outside the orange glow, the stars above her opened up like a sea of pearls. Nimue could almost feel the confusion wafting from him, and also her own heartbreak. Her gaze turned to take in the stars dappled across his skin, and then upwards. How if magic truly blessed this world, then she would have at long last seen the beauty of the stars made flesh and bone. How she would never have to look skyward again; instead, the heavens were graced along every plane of him.

But she did not yet know how magic worked in this world, when it had freely flowed in others. The power in her own blood now awake, but only in the presence of the relic that she always kept carefully hidden. Without it, surely her gifts, her Sight, would vanish once more.. dormant and asleep until she could permanently find a solution to keep what she knew was rightfully hers.

Until then, the witch only looked at him with somber eyes, a pure desire to grant him his very wish clear as day on her face. She would — by Oriens, wanted — nothing more than to grant him the gift of magic once more. But she was no god.. not anymore, not here, at least.

"Its not your fault, you know," she replied, her voice soft, a whisper, as she looked at the crystalline blue of his eyes, "the magic in this world is asleep, dormant even. I have yet to figure out how to awaken the flows of power in the earth.. but alas, I have not been successful just yet." Her lip curls on one side as she inhaled, gaze breaking away and instead marveling at the constellations above. Suddenly shy, Nimue did not look at him, not when the truth of knowing him lay on the edge of every word. "You are a mirror for the stars, then," she breathed, more of a statement than a question.

The rose witch shivered, her skin clammy beneath the weight of her roiling emotions. Embarrassment heating her cheeks, hiding under her complexion, and determination and sorrow battling across her heart and soul. She nearly choked on her words, wanting to tell him that she knew.. knew how he was a breathing star map, knew who he was. Wanting to tell him what he meant to her. But each truth failed her, leaving her empty, leaving her bleeding, as she looked to search his face once more. The night cocooning them in smoke and shadows and the stars above, the firelight at their backs, and completely in their own little world.

"I would do anything to grant you the gift of magic in this world, if it meant I could see the stars when the sun shines high in the skies above.. if it meant I could see you for who you truly are," she shared, boldly, wonderfully, offering a small smile through the darkness between them both.

---

@astarael yikes, this turned into a lot longer post than anticipated <3
"Nimue speech."

love, space