amber charm [Hal, Rian]

[Artume Verte]

Unfamiliar as she was with the many customs and peoples of Alanor, Artume had near-blundered into the festival after hearing the chatter and excitement of it for the past several weeks. She had failed to catch any memo regarding dress, but nevertheless wore her finest green silk gown, dotted with drops of amber jewels and loops of gold chain. Her stilettos matched, delicately hooked across her Achilles heel and fastened at the toe with more amber gems.

Golden curls in full bounce, she nervously moved through the crowds. She had felt sorely out of place in Alanor from the start, but this was simply overwhelming. She had been tempted by the talk of food and drink, party and cheer, but had hardly considered how heavy the festivities would be. Not to mention, the two courts were freely mingling, and she knew even less of the Seelie than her own court. If Queen Annette was an inch of what King Cel was, as many seemed to whisper, she shivered to think of crossing her path.

After a few brief interactions with random fae and some sips of white wine, Artume found herself more relaxed and at peace.

That was, until, she saw that plain-looking fool of a nimbus again.

She chugged the rest of her glass and slammed it down on some pixie's tray. In a twirl of green smoke she approached him, the brown-eyed, brown-haired, brown bore of a sop. "Fancy meeting you here," she rasped, wriggling up in front of him like a snake charmer to a basket. "Normally, I would have said that neither of us would have attended, but my, how things keep changing, don't they?"

[Kin/diablo]

Hal was already a substantial distance from his previous group by the time the sidhe caught up to him -- probably for the better, he thought, lest his acquaintances somehow think less of him because this vindictive, goddamned woman seemed to be drawn to him like -- well, he didn't know. Perhaps a leech, though he doubted that any one word could accurately describe her. He had a few choice words in mind, but saying them to her didn't seem like a good idea at the moment. Or ever, really.

So he put on his best face and turned toward her. "A pleasure seeing you here, Princess," Hal said, and though his smile wasn't his best, it was far from insincere. "Have you tried the wine yet?"

Then he hesitated, as if struck by a sudden thought, looking almost regretful. "But enough of that! You must pardon me -- I was in the most terrible of moods the other day and I'm afraid that I've been terribly rude for no reason at all." And it was all true, even if his chagrin was not. "All that we've been through together, and I don't even know your name."

[Rian]

[OOC. I'm totally allowed to crash the party because Dib adores me gave me permission and Inkling is cool. XD Uh. Just in case anyone is wondering.]

There was little reason for Rian to be here, but he never did need reasons now, did he? The nimbus walked the festival grounds slowly, tempering his stride so that his little pudu mantel could keep up with him. The tiny deer dogged at his heels, so close that the pudu may as well have been glued on him for as much distance the animal let between them. Still, more than one person misstepped, others stumbled into path, laughing, and enough of them had nearly trod on his mantel before Rian's lips thinned and he abruptly halted, grasping the deer and tucking it under his arm. If he looked ridiculous it didn't show on his face, which was as foreboding as ever.

The pudu shivered and tucked his head against Rian's shoulder. Rian ignored this and walked on, sharp eyes glancing around the festival. The fae were loud and carousing and Rian couldn't help but stop several times just to watch them, always looking disapproving though inwardly he was at peace with where he was. It was nice, this festival, where the fae of both courts gathered to celebrate and Rian couldn't help but stop here first before continuing on to the Seelie Court.

He walked and drank in the sights and before long his mantel was struggling in his arms. He glanced at the pudu, almost worriedly, before his expression blanked and he set the deer down in a clear area. And, of course, the pudu was looking back at Rian as he trotted forward and walked right into a fae's legs. Immediately the deer began to struggle and made a curious barking sound, and Rian strode forward, reaching down to untangle the fool creature.

"Idiot," he said mildly as he picked up his mantel.

Rian looked at the sidhe who was resplendent in green and then at the nimbus who was. Well. A bit drab. Which was surprising in of itself. He caught the undercurrent between the two and smiled thinly. "I apologize for interrupting."

[Artume Verte]

OOC: This is bound to be the most awesome thread ever. No promises that Artume won't try to make them think there's going to be a threesome and at the last minute leave the two guys by themselves in a bedroom!

This was peculiar. It was almost as if he was an entirely different person -- Artume wasn't sure what he was playing at, but she rolled with the hits. Or whatever they were.

"Mm, the wine?" She giggled softly, "Some of the white, yes." She meant to return the question, to purr and offer him some, but instead he continued with the unexpected, with this.. this venomous politeness. He even apologized! Artume was aghast. What in the hell was he trying to accomplish?

Quirking a brow, curling a finger around the stem of a wine glass that she plucked from a nearby pixie's tray, she leaned her head back. Her chest pushed forward in a more accentuated manner, as a result. "It's so silly, isn't it? We've been through quite a lot," she rasped, suddenly lurching forward again, letting her warm, wine-scented breath creep across his chest, neck, face. "My name is--"

A small deer-like creature bumbled into Artume's legs. At first, she meant to continue with her seductions, assuming the animal would be on his way... But then she saw how adorable and tiny he was. Her eyes grew wide and all her gold glittered. Then the animal's bonded came to retrieve him, and Artume could only smile at the nimbus.

"No need to apologize, good sir, he is quite the delight." Her voice glittered like the rest of her, and she strode with her arm outstretched to welcome the man into their small company.

[Kin/diablo]

"The white, hmm?" Hal glanced down at the sidhe's empty glass. He hadn't seen her earlier and he'd been keeping an eye out since his own arrival, a fact that told him that she probably hadn't been here long. It was possible that he had missed her, of course -- this was the largest gathering of fae that he had experienced since arriving at Alanor, and probably the largest he'd see in a while -- but it also meant that a single familiar face among all the strangers would be instantly noticeable.

"No interest in the red, or haven't you gotten the chance yet?" The words were barely out of his mouth when she stepped even closer, almost in his arms now, and Hal resisted the urge to roll his eyes or say something he would deeply regret. He was prepared for her this time; he was in his element today, and nothing would throw him off guard unless he allowed it past his defenses.

Instead, he let her continue advancing, and was waiting for her to finish speaking when she stopped abruptly. He paused, puzzled, before following her gaze down to where a small animal stood; it was only when its faerie counterpart approached to rescue it that Hal remembered that the Seelie's mantels took a different form. What a curious little creature, he thought, but instead he simply said, "Not a problem."

[Skylla]

With the coming of night comes the pounding of drums who direct a procession of faerie dressed in flowing white robes and cowls. Horns sound a triumphant call as each member of the procession surrounds a large pyre. One by one each fae takes their torch to the pyre until the tower of lumber is a blazing inferno.

The Imbolc bonfire symbolizes the melting away of winter and the warmth associated with the spring. The light of life can be seen for the first time since the past summer in burning pyre embers. The whole festival is bathed in warmth and a powerful brightness.

[Rian]

Rian gave a short stare at the way the female that Niko had run into stretched out her arm, hesitating just briefly before he inclined his head and maneuvered himself so that he looked to be with the duo rather than some passerby. She was beautiful, this sidhe, and he traced her with his eyes, assessing. Though one could claim the same for all sidhe, those shining beings that made every movement look like an art form. It was a good thing that Rian wasn't all that easily impressed.

Still, manners were manners and he gave a fleeting smile that didn't touch his eyes. Those were wary.

They were unseelie, as far as Rian could tell. No sign of a physical mantel, and the thought was unfathomable for Rian, who could not now imagine life without Niko. The pudu seemed to sense this and huffed a sigh, nosing at the side of his face. Rian ignored this with practiced ease.

"I am Rian," he said simply, then touched Niko with a finger to the pudu's forehead. "This is Niko." Niko's tail beat against Rian's back and, for a moment, Rian grinned, wry. Then he ducked his head and it vanished. He gave the other nimbus a look out of the corner of his eye, the strangely plain one, who was perhaps more outstanding because of that plainness. He opened his mouth, but was interrupted by the lighting of the bonfire, which was good because Rian had been somewhat at a loss for anything to say.

"Oh," he said softly, staring at the light. "Spring is to arrive."

[Artume Verte]

This -- Rian -- was quite the looker. He looked smart and sharp, and even with his chilly demeanor, next to Hal she was rather impressed. Hal’s hair was brown, but Rian’s was black with tinges of blue mystery; Hal’s eyes were brown, but Rian’s were like the caverns of the ocean. Artume swayed closer to Rian, but still hovered uncomfortably close between them both, keeping their little group tight and personal. "My name is Artume Verte," she offered back with a small chuckle. Her ambers glistened and seemed almost to drip with her ephemeral innocence.

The warmth of the ceremony poured over her, and, nodding to Rian eagerly, she spun away briefly to grab a tray of three wine glasses. She presented the tray to the two of them while she chose a stem for herself, immediately downing half the glass. This was a golden, amber wine, and it reminded her of honeysuckle fields and the richness of spring; daffodils and tulips, dandelions and strawberries. A spurt of giggles trickled out of her. "Spring might just be my favorite time of year. Wouldn't you agree, gentlemen?"