[SWE] Fiat Lux

Her curiosity had gotten the best of her before, and with the approach of a festival in honor of Rae… Well, she just had to go see what these new people do to honor the god of nature.    Eliza made sure to keep her wings strategically concealed beneath a light, blue and gold cloak or shawl or whatever the others wanted to call it. Just kidding. For once, in front of everyone, she actually let her translucent wings shine in the daylight. A small skip in her airy step and a wonder-filled gaze in golden-toned eyes, the fae girl saw a small group of people gathering with flower wreaths, and the slightest frown tugged at her lips.    A festival to celebrate the god of nature, yet these people do so by killing so many of Rae’s flowers? Eliza admittedly couldn’t wrap her head around it, but she decided to approach regardless. The girl looked up at Phoebe and those surrounding her, and she felt dwarfed, but head remained high and her shoulders proud. “I don’t understand…” She said, pressing her lips together with a scrunched nose. “Why did you cut Rae’s flowers? Why not plant them instead?”    She felt a chill near Maea as soon as her eyes found the figure draped over her shoulders. Eliza brought her eyes down and away from Ludo’s form, harboring respect for the deity, but certainly not wanting a close relationship with it. She wondered briefly if the girl knew what Ludo was or if she was ignorant to it. eliza I’m not lost, I’m exploring!

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own "Yes." Whilst the voice that responded to Maea did not sound as though it knew what fun even was, Ludo was having a whale of a time. It was not welcome at Rae's festivals, unless invited. And no one invited it. Ever. So, draped around the albino girl as it was, it was enjoying itself thoroughly. Indeed as Phoebe offered out a crown of flowers it ducked its mask obediently, that she might drape them around it. "Thank you, sweetling," it said, before flapping a rag in the direction of the stalls. "Might we go see those?" it asked Maea.

Maea Big dreamers shoot for open skies Friends, familiar faces and childish shenanigans. It was unlike any other Fiat Lux she had attended before. There had been no Jigano to swirl past and make her laugh before, no Rory that shuffled past in the distance, and certainly no god to keep her company as she experienced it all. Maea laughed at Deimos bewildered expression to the hug and accepted Phoebe's flowercrown with a little curtsy, that turned into a grin of delight when a second one was placed around the crown of Ludo's mask. The contrast between the soft colorful flowers and the stark white mask was startling, but she thought it lended a softness to the black rags. It was... appropriate, somehow. "It suits you" she smiled to the soul guide, while the separated from the cluster of friends, obliging the request to inspect the stalls more closely. There was an abundance of things to entertain the eye. Baubles and trinkets, clay gods and wooden wares, tailored garments and artisan craftsmanship mingled with simple childrens toys; straw dolls, wind chimes, colorful paper folded into animals and leather balls with quite a decent bounce to them. Little flutes and pipes from wood or bone, beads of glass and clay and even metal, and in every corner a musician was playing cheerful tunes that invited people to dance. Maea went past them slowly, so that Ludo would have the chance to see it all properly. At one point she bartered quickly with one of the merchants, and came away with a beautiful little wind spinner made of metal and glass beads, mounted on a simple rod. To be held, planted in a garden or hung from a tree, whichever suited ones fancy. She offered it to Ludo with a smile. "For you. Let me know if you want something else. Do you eat? I know a stall that has amazing sugared candies, and the grilled magna never taste as good as they do here!"

"Oh, I think she can come up with that all on her own," Jigano winked to Deimos before he slipped away into the crowd, giving Isuma a little mental nudge to stop trying to eat her crown. Phoebe had worked had on them, and it looked adorable on the little gryphlet. He could only hope his own looked as nice! But of course the midwife would have given him a lovely one, he trusted, reaching up to adjust it to a slightly jaunty angle.

Gods most fortunate, when was the last time he had felt so free? The Barrier was down and there was a world for the exploring, so many new things to learn, people to meet, songs to write... There were problems aplenty still to field, and wounds far from healed, but today seemed like a good day for that healing to begin. Maybe it was Frey's influence on the festival, or Rae's blessing able to reach them now that the barrier was gone. Or maybe it was just that his friends were here, smiling, laughing, dancing - even Ludo was in on the fun! He hoped Safrin would be able to join in as well once night fell, but for now he sought the sun, slipping through the crowd with an easy grace and light feet, Isuma clinging to his shoulder and occasionally fluttering her wings excitedly as she spied a familiar human to greet.

He spun past more dancers, ducked between stalls set up with games of thrown rings and balls and darts, and paused as more scents of tasty food wafted under his nose. Oh, he was definitely coming back to check that one out...

But first...

Finally, at the end of a line of food and drink stalls, he caught sight of a familiar blond head. Only, not so familiar; bedecked in braids and feathers, sun and shadow, proud and sleek and handsome as a wild creature on the hunt, Rory looked more stunning than Jigano had ever seen him, and the bard stopped dead in his tracks at the pulse that hiccuped - and then raced giddily through him.

The jostling of the crowd started his feet moving again as he approached his friend, drinking in his dapper appearance with an eager hunger as he sought to memorize every detail. His steps slowed as his heart sped up, and his fingers tightened on the strap of his harp as he stepped out of the crowd to smile down at the man who had tamed the white fox to his touch. "Happy Fiat Lux, Rory," he said quietly - or as quietly as he could with all the gaiety around them. "Will you do me the honor of walking with me through the festival?" Tentatively he offered his arm, but Isuma was far less dignified as she let loose an enthusiastic Reep! and leapt to Rory's shoulder to rub her soft face eagerly against his - and then tried to preen the feathers tucked into his braids in delighted approval of his fashion sense.

In a moment where he was free of the responsibility of caring for his siblings, Emmett found a chance to just wander and explore the festival, take in the place he lived in. He did love the tradition, the culture of it all; in the midst of the sheer joy of it he could almost forget everything. He did not make an effort to talk to anyone, enjoying the chance to just walk and observe. There were familiar faces. Phoebe, of course (he sighed, unknowing of what would come in less than an hour later), Maea...he widened his eyes as he saw her talking to Ludo. He'd always been raised with a healthy respect for the Gods but her familiarity with the gloomy God made him nervous. He began to step behind her, stopping a couple of feet back just to watch and see how the interaction would go. Emmett You think that luck has left you there But maybe there's nothing Up in the sky but air And there's no mystical design

With a laugh, Remi bowed with a slight flourish as she placed the crown on his head, standing with equal pomp and striking a masculine pose. Try as he might, what with his muscles, scruff, and defiant stare, the fact that it was Remi and not the pink crown is what undid the illusion. And so he laughed. Isla flared her nostrils but endured, nodding in agreement with Phoebe's diagnoses of the honeysuckle crown for the baby. However as she mentioned Emmett, even though he didn't particularly understand the bit that came next, Remi slipped an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him. "Well, we know how stupid men are, don't we?" He asked rhetorically, leaning his head against hers and sighing into her hair. "He is an absolute idiot if he lets you go over something that you cannot control." Remi continued, sounding very brotherly without sounding condescending. "You can tell him I said that. And we have dragons and unicorns and lions to sick on him if he does not come around." He added with a wink. REMI Loving you was sunshine, but then it poured & I lost so much more than my senses 'Cause loving you had consequences

PHOEBE

Phoebe was frankly honored when Ludo accepted the flower crown. She smiled and carefully placed the crown upon its head, making sure to gently tuck back pieces of its rags that almost seemed like hair out of the way of its mask as the flowers pressed them down. "Orange is very becoming on you. I hope you enjoy the festival." she said in a kind tone.

But another addressed her...and she almost missed them a full foot shorter than her, Phoebe's eyes widened, having never seen a fae before. "O-oh! U-uhm...well..." she stuttered, feeling caught off guard and admonished. "F-frey made me a flower crown similar to these and uh...w-well I made them to pay homage to that...it...seemed fitting at the time...they all mean things that seemed to fit the festival too, see these are gaiety, and rebirth, and love and devotion and joy..." she said, pointing out each one to Eliza. "I did plant a lot too, I-i promise I did...I didn't mean to offend..." she bit her lip nervously. "Do...do you want to wear one?" she offered nonetheless.

She glanced then towards Remi, laughing a bit at his pose. "Positively statuesque." she said with a smile. As he spoke of Emmett though her disposition fell slightly and she leaned against his side. A mirthless laugh escaped her lips as he mentioned that they knew men were stupid.

He is an absolute idiot if he lets you go over something that you cannot control.

That made her tear up a bit, but when he followed it up with a mini threat she laughed, the tears receding with only a small sniffle. "Thank you, Remi...that means a lot...and I just might tell him that." she said with a little smile.

I gotta find my place
I wanna hear my sound
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
'Cause I'm just trying to be happy

RORY

Rory happened to look in the other direction when Jigano slid through the gaps in the crowd. He had caught sight of a few familiar faces, but no one that was enough of a reason to abandon his perch by the brewer. He wasn't nice enough for that yet, and most who knew him saw that. Rory wasn't known for being temperamental, but most of those who normally wouldn't mind chatting for 5 minutes with him recognized the scowl and the flash of his eyes and stayed away.

He brought the tankard to his lips again, sipping the light and potent beer while scanning the crowd. There was, of course, someone he was looking for, while simultaneously hoping he wouldn't spot him quite yet... He knew that when he did, he had to commit to the festivities and fun (and he'd likely enjoy it), but some stupid part of him felt like being grumpy a bit longer (and to be honest, that urge might never end).

Then, from somewhere close to him—

"Happy Fiat Lux, Rory."

The voice had his heart performing sudden acrobatics, but he somehow managed to retain his composure, merely turning his feather-crowned head to look at Jigano, shoulders angling towards him in subtle invitation. An arm was offered along with the words, the well-groomed, pristine white gryphon careening onto his shoulder and ferociously rubbing her face against his. Rory's soul laughed, but he couldn't quite make his body do the same thing, but his free hand reached up to brush the happy owlcat as he murmured "Careful with those, now," when she began to groom his feathers.

Then he did that thing that he sometimes did, when he didn't quite react to what was being said, or offered; his gaze was on Jigano's arm for half a heartbeat before he allowed himself to do something he would've liked to be at least slightly intoxicated for.

He let his gaze sweep over Jigano, from the fine embroidery on his tunic to his narrow hips and his legs, snugly wrapped in well-made and tight-fitting leather pants. Rory felt something clench and unclench repeatedly in his gut, and had the alcohol been able to hit his blood yet his gaze would've lingered longer on certain aspects of Jigano's anatomy (which he would've liked to do), but as it was, the study he conducted was, while very obvious, still rather courteous.

"You look good, Jigano," he said, something sly edging into his voice, as his eyes finished their appraisal and skipped from his glittering earlobes to his face. If he was able to make Jigano blush slightly, he was going to feel infinitely better.

Then the sly feeling crept onto his face in the form of a small, though warmed, smile, and he stepped close enough to take the offered arm. "How could I possibly refuse?" he murmured under his breath, his tongue tripping on another compliment he didn't quite dare voice. Instead, he held out the tankard. "Want some?" If Jigano accepted the offer he'd find that it was a cool and smooth brew, perhaps not as sweet as expected but with a faint, but rich, floral aroma. It was surprisingly heady (Rory had learned that the hard way many years ago) and deceptively easy to drink.

as if you were on fire from within,
the moon lives in the lining of your skin.

Of course she was going to be careful with his feathers! Wasn't he always careful with hers? Jigano had to stifle a laugh at the mishmash of emotions and images her strong response at Rory's cautionary tone evoked in his companion. He had extended his arm in the hope that the hunter would take it, or his hand, or... do something else, that the bard didn't quite want to imagine in any detail in such a crowded, public place. What he hadn't expected was the way Rory paused to savor the sight of him, giving him a very obvious once-over in a way he was almost used to--

But not from this man. This man, whose opinion of his appearance mattered more than anyone else's.

If there was a flush to his skin, he could claim it was just the excitement of the festival, and not the desire to reach up and run his fingers through the tousled mane that tumbled down one side of his friend's face, soft and gleaming in the sun. To distract Rory from his slow appraisal, and raise heat in those fine-boned cheeks to match his own. To--

Words that were just this side of a sly purr focused his attention on the present, and not the possible future, and the bard's smile widened in return, even as something in his eyes softened. "Only a pale echo of your brilliant sun and shadow," he murmured, tucking Rory's hand close as they came together in a way that was becoming comfortably familiar, almost instinctual. He wrinkled his nose initially at the proffered mug, but at the floral aroma his brows rose and he accepted it for a smooth pull. "That is... impressive," he agreed, licking his lip to catch the last drops as he handed the mug back.

"Perhaps we should find something to eat with it? I passed a place where they had fried Magna Vermis that smelled positively divine," he suggested with a sly smile of his own as Isuma settled onto Rory's shoulder to watch the festival, her pale coloration gleaming and offset far better against his dark tunic and golden hair.

And so the pair set off into the crowd, perchance to run into more friends along the way!

Kiada

She arrives in a quiet storm, Auni following at her heels as the Harpy makes her way into the festival. But yet, she remains off in the distance a bit, hidden away while people talk and others begin to dance, and some move on to grab their friends food or drinks. She finds herself drifting toward Deimos briefly, hearing a snippet of Jigano’s words before a booming roar of a laugh escapes her friend. But now is not the time to make her entrance to the Reaper. She waits, like a predator in the midst for a few long moments before she appears before Deimos with a wicked grin of delight.

“Did someone say braiding?” She questioned, leaning in toward Deimos with a hand to the side of her lips as if she were telling him some kind of secret. Then, she leaned back and gave him an earnest, full, happy smile and a grin – stepping up for a hug should he let her. “Are you waiting for a special someone? That flower crown seems to be screaming that you are?” She questioned with a smirk that twisted the corner of her lips up in a small smile as she regarded her friend, long time mentor from a different lifetime.

Kiada glances around then, trying to see whoever else has shown up before Auni barges toward Deimos with a small grunt of a hello and a need for another of Deimos’ famous head scratches before the Luxere settles by her side. “I helped cut up some of the worms over there, they smell amazing if I’m being honest, though I was quite skeptical.” She informs him, her eyes landing back on him. “They were worms after all.” Her nose scrunches up at the thought before she laughs and lets that same gleeful grin land along her face.

I think I am dangerous now...

REXANNA

hope is the only thing

She had slipped away from Bastien briefly, to be sure she could catch Jigano and Rory at least at some point to give the banners to. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting in the center of it all, but the smells of the food and everyone gathered around had captured her attention. She didn’t particularly look very well, the glamour at least made it less obvious that she was still on the end of recovering from the night the banner had fallen. Wafts of orangish yellow bruising adorned her neck beside the now mostly healed bite wounds, but she didn’t seem to think of it at all as her face lit up with the prospect of things within Fiat Lux.

She came with the banners in hand, ecstatic with wide sapphire eyes as she looked to see who all had come. A bright smile seemed glued to her face, and she seemed to radiate with the positivity of it all. It was so at odds to Longnight, and to see so many people happy and cheerful, she couldn’t help but to grin at the wonder of it all. As she approached the group, she spotted Phoebe and rushed over to see her friend, and likely savior.

“Phoebe!” She cheered with a chime of a voice, hoping to embrace her friend tight and whisper a quiet thank you in her ear. “Are these your flower crowns?” She questioned with a bright smile, wondering if perhaps she might be able to spare an extra. She hadn't even noticed the Fae among them, the one that had questioned Phoebe before Remi spoke to her. In fact, she was still trying to breathe it all in.

stronger than fear.

A M A L I A

---

Set up the stalls. Set out wares. Hang up banners. Survive. Hers is not the most well-adorned booth: in her grandmother's time it would be bursting with flowers, a patch of sunlight among stars, the mixed aroma of spring blooms and spices drawing droves of customers throughout the day. There would be children, dancing and begging for stories; helpers, young and old, happy to volunteer in exchange for choice loaves; elderly gossips pointing out wearings and pairings, commenting on everything from the quality of the players to the taste of the beer. And at the center of it all Anjali Chandrakant, pillar of the community, bright light in the darkness, an institution of the Hollowed Grounds.

And this year? This year there is only Amalia, and the sunlight does not shine.

Oh, she has decorated as well as she can, strung up banners and put out flowers, lit lanterns painted stands, her actions mechanical, driven more by instinct than love. She had been looking forward to Fiat Lux: she always did, ached for it throughout the winter, the reminder of joy and spring and life. Never one to partake of the dancing, Amalia would help behind her grandmother's stall- and later, Evie's, or anyone else, a flickering spark of candlelight always on the periphery, but burning nonetheless. Not a dancer, not an artist, never one to socialize- but she could help, she could serve, she could bring smiles and ease burdens, and that had been enough.

And as the evenings drew dark and couples broke away, Amalia would watch, the lonely ache in her anxious heart offset by the glowing comfort of familiarity, of community, of peace.

Except nothing is familiar anymore.

Standing behind the counter of her stall, surrounded by faces and voices and song, Amalia feels alone. It is the first time the bakery has had a booth since her grandmother died, and the old sign which reads Devas Bakery in Anjali's hand feels like slap in the face. Weeks ago she had been excited, bolstered by Ludo's message, Safrin's purpose, her makeshift family of new and old friends. But now?

Now the festival of full of unfamiliar faces, and the barrier is down, and nothing makes any sense.

She has some help, mercifully: a couple of her grandmother's friends drop in and out, standing behind the counter, offering to relieve the girl, but Amalia does not go. She is nervous, anxious, too small for the booth, too lonely for the crowd. Her bread is not as beautiful, her pastries not as sweet- she can see it, feel it in the way people react, pitying smiles on their faces as they reach for snacks. "Isn't that Rishi's girl? The quiet one? The Devas stall looks so drab- Anjali used to do so well. A shame, really, that her granddaughter couldn't do better."

And though their judgment isn't audible, Amalia can hear it nonetheless.

But she puts on a bold face - or tries to, anyway, though the cracks are evident, the strain clear. She is lost within herself, drowning in her darkness, victim of anxiety, a raincloud on a sunlit day.

ludo Braved the forests, braved the stone Braved the icy winds and fire Braved and beat them on my own Delighted. Ludo was utterly delighted with the little spinner that Maea presented to it, a tendril of fabric snaking around the rod and another giving one of the blades a twirl. Draped around her like the shawl it had given her, the spinner flailing in the warm breeze, they probably looked like quite the pair indeed. "Thank you, I like this," it told her. "I do not eat, no. But I don't think I would like to eat worms anyway." Its masked face turned from the spinner across to the rest of the gathered souls, and it all but fizzed with excitement. Frey was going to have a field day.

Maea Big dreamers shoot for open skies The girl laughed, happy that the gift was well received and that the whole affair of visiting a festival with a God turned out to be so much fun. Far less controversial than she had expected, and if people wondered about the reasons or worried about her, she couldn't tell. Maea also didn't notice that Emmett was following them. She might have told him to stop worrying if she had, or invited him to follow along. After all, if she was enjoying Ludo's company then why wouldn't be? "I think they might surprise you. Though I hear some of the Outlanders had objections at first... apparently they don't eat worms in other places." The thought was almost as bizarre as this conversation. What was wrong with eating worms? Noticing how Ludo's attention went to the millling crowd, Maea took the chance to watch the masked figure from the corner of her eye. Though it was hard to tell what the soul guide was feeling since the emotionless expression only changed when Ludo wanted it to (at least the thought that was how it worked), she thought she noticed some contentment at least. "What do you think?" she asked them softly. "Is Fiat Lux living up to your expectations?"