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Novus closed 10/31/2022, after The Gentle Exodus

All Welcome  - Enjoying the Shadows

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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
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Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#1

sol bestiam

Sol Bestiam found himself circling the forest within the Dawn Court, making lazy loops and just watching the world around him. He had heard of murders in the Court, but had seen nothing to support it yet. Shrugging his shoulders, he tilted down and found a place where he could safely land. That was the challenge, landing and releasing his weight back to the gravity of the earth. For the first few moments, his legs trembled with the weight and he had to stay still to get his hooves under him again. When his body had adjusted to the feeling of being heavy and attached to the soil beneath him, he dropped his gaze to the grass beneath and the ring of scorched turf around each of his hooves. Sometimes, he really hated that little part of his form. No matter what, he left a trail that was difficult to miss.

Tucking in his ebony and gold wings, Sol gazed around the dense forest and listened to the soft sounds of nature. He enjoyed the peace, though it was still strange to be able to find such peace. Flicking his tail, he dropped his muzzle to take a few quick mouthfuls of the sweet grass. Lifting again, he took stalking strides forward, determined to explore the forest as well as he could. The joys of being new... always trying to explore and learn about the world in which he now resided. Sol drifted around trees and seemed to be determined to get himself fully lost in the dense brush.



Tags: Anyone <3
"Speaking."
Notes: Grumpy is trying to figure out the world XD
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Mateo
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#2


He was on a hunt. It certainly was not a strength of Mateo's, hunting. He belonged in the sky or among books-- everywhere else felt like the backdrop on a poorly constructed set, and him the poorly dressed actor who was just playing make believe. Not to mention he would be absolutely useless if he did encounter the monster he sought. His hope was to track it to its lair and come back with assistance, and if he ended up face to face with the thing, well... his rather pathetic plan extended as far as luring it towards the court and getting the guards to deal with it. There were, of course, a hundred things that could go wrong, but he was getting frustrated and frustration made him impatient. He wanted open borders and to sleep peacefully and for everything to go back the way it used to be.

Of course his desires were all very naive. A dreamer can never fight his nature, not without breaking. And he was not the type to fight until he broke.

His sweat-soaked attention falls upon a massive track pressed into the earth. It is oddly singed on the edges, like nothing the pegasus has ever seen before. Could it be the monster?

He almost faints.

He doesn't (obviously). After much internal debate, full of lip biting and pacing in circles and unfolding and folding his wings (an old, anxious habit of his) he finally turns back to the tracks and begins to follow them deeper into the forest. It was the monster he sought, and it was the monster he found. He would have to be brave, some would say heroic, and press on.

Now, naturally, Mateo is not a competent tracker (at this point, you may be wondering what he is competent at) but after some time it is clear even to him that he is catching ground on whatever beast left the prints. The singed prints look fresher and fresher, some even containing embers which he dutifully smothers with his own small hooves. But when he noses his way past some particularly large bushes he does not in the slightest expect to find himself in the company of the monster.

He lets out what could best be described as a squeak, and for the second time today he nearly faints. But it isn't a monster before him, just a mind-bogglingly large horse. All the breath leaves him in a massive sigh.

"I thought you were the monster!" he exclaims, minorly disappointed and extremely relieved. He takes a step closer to the stallion, but when it quickly dawns on him how massive the man is, he hesitates once more. "You aren't, are you?" Bravery was not a strength of the lithe black pegasus, but god knows-- if you have no bite, the least you can do is try to bark. Despite the slight waver in his voice and the way he leans back, ready to bolt into the underbrush, there is a certain boldness in the way he raises his chin in challenge.

"Anyway isn't it a little reckless, walking around a forest like that?" He extends a sleek black wing to gesture at the smoldering hoofprints the behemoth left behind. It is terribly uncharacteristic of Mateo to be so brusque, but it was not very long ago that a great fire tore through the Viride (his hair stands on end at the memory of it) and it makes him uncomfortably tense to see so many embers glowing gently in the shadows of the forest floor.

It seemed a day for many things that were not in Mateo's nature. He sighs, tired of not feeling like himself, and his eyes gleam a hard, steely grey as though all the green has fled from them. He wonders what is in store for him next, and hopes it will not be too unpleasant.

- - -
@Sol Bestiam
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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#3

Sol Bestiam
The arrival of the smaller ebony creature was shocking, making him start as he stepped to look at him. Lifting his head regally, Sol looked down at the being. Goodness he was tiny! The stranger had to be around 14 to 15 hands... roughly two feet smaller than the Egyptian marked stallion that was 21 hands and stocky from his draft blood.

"I thought you were the monster! You aren't, are you?" Sol flicked an ear at the squeak, focusing on the smaller dark pegasus. "Monster? I mean, I am large and I have a bad grumpy streak, but I have never been called a monster..." The draft mix stallion stated blandly, flicking his two toned tail and staring at him. "And what monster are you looking for anyway? The murderer that I have been hearing of?" He asked, confusion wrapping his features. He had arrived after whatever had happened in the court and was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Anyway isn't it a little reckless, walking around a forest like that?" Sol paused and tilted his head as he tried to make sense of what he was meaning. Following the motion of the newcomer's ebony wing, he frowned at the glowing remnant of where he had walked. "Trust me, not my favorite feature. However, my hooves have never actually sparked a full fire. Just a few tiny flames that quickly snuff out and just leave the mark behind." He explained, shooting a glance at his hooves and shaking his head. "I grew up in a forested area like this, but never did start a fire." There was a small pang at the thought of the home that he would never see again. What had happened in his past was something that he filed away and hated to bring up. He was in this land and in this court. It was time for him to find a place that he belonged here.



@Mateo
"Speaking."
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#4


The larger stallion’s surprise would be humorous, if only Mateo hasn’t been so startled himself. "Well yes, I’m looking for the murderer." This seemed obvious to Mateo, although it really wasn’t. Months had passed since the murders, and not a single clue had appeared since then to suggest that the killer was even in Delumine anymore. Many had completely forgotten about those grizzly events, most did not forget but chose to move on. The border closure was more a formality than anything, a rule that had been bent so many times it became impossible to straighten again. Even Mateo left Delumine from time to time, although always guiltily and never for very long.

The other stallion then explains the cinders in his steps. Mateo frowns, thinking it over. “How curious.” It seems incredibly unpractical, not to mention annoying, to leave flaming hoofprints behind you. “Anything else magical and potentially dangerous I should know about?” The thing about magic was you didn’t always see it. It’s what made magic so compelling to Mateo– it could be everywhere, the way god was, and you could only tell if you had the certain sense for it.

His thoughts circle back to god, as they so often do, and he wonders what Oriens would do, if the daybreak god were here. (of course, he is here, in the bend of the trees and the sway of the lichen, here in the air and earth, here in every way except the flesh) Eventually the boy’s brusque demeanor softens. It never really stood a chance to begin with– Mateo was far too much of a people pleaser for that.

"You're new here? I'd tell you it isn't safe wandering the forest alone, but... That would be hypocritical, wouldn’t it?" he tilts his head upward to look at the massive stallion, and a wide grin cracks across his youthful features. "Anyway I imagine the world is much less dangerous when you're that big." Mateo, on the other hand, would probably make an excellent snack to whatever beast it is that roams the forest. It is a fact that he is well aware of, for he is and has always been keenly aware of his small stature and how others respond to it-- or at least how he thinks they do.

I’m Mateo. Would you care to walk with me? Safety in numbers and all that…” Safety for one of them, at least. His wings twitch at the word walk, wanting to take to the sky, but he keeps them tucked close. He had things to do, murderers to find. Strangers to befriend. “Where are you headed?

- - -
@Sol Bestiam
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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#5

Sol Bestiam

"Well yes, I’m looking for the murderer." Sol flicked an ear. "You will have to forgive my surprise. I have barely been in Novus and have only heard one comment about the murders. So what happened?" Sol asked, watching the other stallion's surprise as he had heard Sol's words.


“How curious. Anything else magical and potentially dangerous I should know about?” The ebony, gold, and white stallion laughed as he listened to the words. "Other than my size... which can be dangerous to anyone that gets underhoof without me seeing... but nope. Just the odd hooves and extra wings." He chuckled as he answered, feeling a pang of jealousy at the smaller stallion's single set of wings. They were probably easier to manage then having double the wings.

"You're new here? I'd tell you it isn't safe wandering the forest alone, but... That would be hypocritical, wouldn’t it? Anyway I imagine the world is much less dangerous when you're that big." Sol nodded as he listened. A snarky comment nearly escaped his lips, but he shoved it down. "Yep... Only been around here for a month and a half or so... Something like that. I have never been one to keep track of time." The last of his words escaped in a laugh as he shook his head. "I wouldnt say less dangerous... just less likely to become dangerous. The size tends to make it easier to avoid conflict that is unnecessary. "

“I’m Mateo. Would you care to walk with me? Safety in numbers and all that… Where are you headed?” Sol nodded, motioning toward the trail that he had been following. "I am Sol Bestiam... Though I rarely use the full thing. Normally, I just go by Sol." He shook his head as he spoke, feeling dumb for having such a large name. "Safety in numbers... I suppose having higher numbers can be beneficial. Honestly... I have no clue. This is the first time I have explored the forest." He laughed, taking a moment to look around them and check for any danger.




@Mateo
"Speaking."
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#6


The huge stallion is not nearly as scary as he first seemed. Mateo warms up quickly to him. It was probably a terrible flaw, his abundant trust in strangers, and by some incredible luck it had not yet gotten him into trouble.

When Sol asks about the murders, Mateo is all too happy to enlighten him. “Well, last fall two pages were murdered. Moore and Casper.” They were gentle souls, always so eager to lend a hand wherever necessary. “Not only that, they were eaten, their bodies left in the forest.” His lips curl in distaste– the two had not deserved such a gruesome death. “No sign of the monster has been seen since, although… there are stories…” ever the thespian, his voice lowers dramatically. “I’ve heard that on moonless nights, when the hour is darkest, a deathly hush falls across the Viride… and then a groaning cry fills the forest from every direction, rising from the earth itself like a wicked fog.

He clears his throat, too old to be afraid of ghost stories (and yet…)

Anyway, the beast has not been caught yet. Obviously.” There where whispers that it would never be caught, that it had starved in winter or moved south to Terrastella. But these whispers did not comfort Mateo… he did not like an unsolved mystery, and when he started unraveling a story he was stubborn enough to see it through to the very end, wherever it took him. “Citizens are supposed to travel in groups of three or more, and the borders are supposed to be closed, but… everyone is getting lazy, I think. Comfortable.” Himself included– a self-aware, cheeky grin sneaks across his face.

Nice to meet you, Sol. I’m Mateo.” He stretches a wing out and brushes it against one of the behemoth’s in greeting. “Whenever I don’t know where I’m headed, I end up at the library.” It seemed to always be where his feet took him, or his wings, whenever his pesky mind didn’t interfere with things. Like now: with his brain split between conversation and staying alert for any particularly hungry beasties, he intuitively steers them toward the library hidden among the trees.

So, where do you come from?” Immediately, a more interesting question comes to mind. He asks it before the man has the chance to answer the first. “Where are you going? Or is this as far as you had planned?” He gestures to the forest around them, and pauses speaking for a moment to listen to the wind dance in the treetops– and, of course, to give his companion the opportunity to get a word in.

- - -
@Sol Bestiam sorry for the wait! <3
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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#7

Sol Bestiam

“Well, last fall two pages were murdered. Moore and Casper. Not only that, they were eaten, their bodies left in the forest. No sign of the monster has been seen since, although… there are stories… I’ve heard that on moonless nights, when the hour is darkest, a deathly hush falls across the Viride… and then a groaning cry fills the forest from every direction, rising from the earth itself like a wicked fog.” Sol listened to the words from the smaller ebony stallion with a grimace. Eaten and murdered... That put a whole new spin on what rumors he had heard since arriving. When Mateo started speaking like a ghost story, Sol licked his lips and fought back a chuckle. Gruesome tended to make him uneasy... Ghost stories always amused him. "Perhaps the groaning means that those that he has eaten dont agree with being eaten... Maybe he has indigestion..." He quipped without thinking, shaking his head when he realized that he had spoken aloud. "Sorry. I am not one to be frightened easily." He laughed softly, flipping his mostly black mane.

“Anyway, the beast has not been caught yet. Obviously. Citizens are supposed to travel in groups of three or more, and the borders are supposed to be closed, but… everyone is getting lazy, I think. Comfortable.” Sol nodded as he listened. That tended to happen when things dragged out without much incident. Of course, being that it was currently spring and the world was once again warming and active... perhaps this creature would strike again. Winter tended to be a sleepy time of year with many creatures not venturing out unless absolutely necessary. "Hard not to hope that being comfortable in your borders will not result in worse events as the days warm. Spring is here and the world is waking from the winter slumber." Sol's words were musing as they left his lips, the rich velvet of his voice seeming to echo for a moment before dissipating. Frowning at the forest, he shook his head and focused back upon Mateo.

“Nice to meet you, Sol. I’m Mateo. Whenever I don’t know where I’m headed, I end up at the library.” Sol nodded his head as he listened, then paused. "Library?" He asked without thought. He hadnt explored or even spoken to many others, so there were things that still surprised him. Being as large and intimidating as he seemed to be, it often surprised others that he enjoyed quiet places and learning new things.

“So, where do you come from? Where are you going? Or is this as far as you had planned?” Sol flicked an ear and would have raised an eyebrow at the onslaught of questions. "One question at a time..." He snorted with amusement before considering the questions. "I came from well outside of Novus. I honestly dont even remember how long I traveled before landing here. Where am I going... I dont really have an ending. I have been wandering around to try to get a feel for the land and places that others live. I havent really planned anything, just mostly going with the flow and seeing where life takes me for a bit." He answered each one honestly and without rambling too much, eying Mateo for a moment. "What about you? What are your plans for the day?"



@ Mateo
"Speaking."
Notes: No worries love <3 RL has had me running in circles lately










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#8


Indigestion…

The little pegasus frowns as he thinks about it. Could it be? It would have to be some truly terrifying indigestion, to make such a sound. Maybe– “Sorry. I am not one to be frightened easily.

Oh. It was a joke! Mateo sees it now and he laughs a moment too late, a sheepish I-knew-it-was-a-joke-of-course-it-was-a-joke laugh. It was a funny thing to say, truly. The boy simply feels foolish for taking the words so seriously.

Wait. You’ve… never been to the library?” He blinks dumbly. There were citizens of Novus who had been to Delumine’s library without ever stepping foot in Dawn Court. It was a huge draw for denizens of all courts, or at least it was before the borders were closed. “Why you have to! It is the star of Delumine, perhaps all of Novus!” He did not lack a flair for drama, when it came to the one thing in the world he was most proud of.

Some people could toss themselves into the wind and let it take them where it may. Mateo was not that kind of creature. It was not that he lacked faith (the mere suggestion of that is one of few things that could provoke a fight in him) he simply liked order. He liked knowing where he was, where he was going, and what he was doing there. He set deep roots, for a pegasus.

Well I have scribe duties soon.” He glances at the shadows, growing longer. “Very soon.” In fact he would probably be late, but he isn’t too concerned about it. Mateo was a diligent worker who often put in more time than his duties necessitated, and as a result he could push the rules a little, now and then (and again and again and– just one more time? and–) “After that I’ll mosey about the tavern or fly about until a song comes to me.” It was a simple life, surely not as adventurous as Sol Bestiam’s, but it was his.

- - -
@Sol Bestiam
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Played by Offline Chaosy [PM] Posts: 143 — Threads: 21
Signos: 0
Dusk Court Blacksmith
Male [He/Him/His]  |  Immortal [Year 498 Summer]  |  21 hh  |  Hth: 22 — Atk: 18 — Exp: 49  |    Active Magic: Solar Manipulation  |    Bonded: Telum (Dragon)
#9

Sol Bestiam

“Indigestion…” Sol watched the understanding pass over the tiny pegasus's face and coughed in an attempt to disguise his amusement. "Perhaps humor is not one of my strengths." He laughed softly, shaking his head.

“Wait. You’ve… never been to the library? Why you have to! It is the star of Delumine, perhaps all of Novus!” Sol smiled as he listened to the words from the ebony stallion. He had such a heartfelt love for the library that even Sol was inspired to perhaps find it eventually. "I havent been here too long, and have spent so much of my time trying to mentally map the lands that I have neglected exploring my own Court. I will have to correct that oversight." He answered honestly, gazing about him with orange eyes. The forest seemed to be darkening, the day passing by faster than he thought. All the talk of whatever monster was roaming the forest made him a bit uneasy at the idea of being here after dark, though he wouldnt admit it.

“Well I have scribe duties soon. Very soon. After that I’ll mosey about the tavern or fly about until a song comes to me.” Sol nodded as he listened. "That sounds peaceful and calm compared to what life could be." Compared to what his own had been. Now it was a chaotic mess of trying to find a place where he fit in. He still felt out of place, felt like an outsider no matter who he met or how hard he tried to find his place in the court and the realm.



@Mateo
"Speaking."
Notes: I love Mateo <3 He is adorable










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#10


The other stallion suggests humor is not a strength of his and Mateo is mortified."Oh no no no, not at all! I just, uh... I didn't think you were the kind of person to make jokes." On account of, you know, the man's mindboggling size.

There was such an unexpected contradiction between the massive stallion's stature and his exceedingly gentle nature. It reminded Mateo of something out of a story-- Sol Bestiam reminded him of something out of a story-- and the little black pegasus found this deeply intriguing. He had a lot more questions for his new companion, a lot of wondering about what makes us the way we are, if not our bodies.

"That sounds peaceful and calm compared to what life could be." The words are thoughtful and well-considered. "Oh, peaceful and calm is what I do best," Mateo says sweetly, although he can't contain (doesn't want to) the impish smile that blooms on the edge of his lips. He wink discreetly, then turns his attention to the meandering path ahead of them.

Mateo didn't much like the forest at night, and night was quickly falling. It would be best for them to get back to the safety of the court soon, either separately or... together?

"Well, what are you doing now? Would you like to come with me to the library? We could hit the tavern afterwards, or go for a flight." He spreads his wings as if to say look at this big beautiful sky above us, isn't it a shame to be anywhere else? but quickly tucks them to his side once more as the two stallions begin to carve their way through a denser part of the forest.

- - -
@Sol Bestiam ahh thank you thank you, I love Sol! <3
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