Intertwining Elements [Open/Full]

[Cataclypsa]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxthe Datexx

January - February - March - April - May - June
July - August - September - October - November - December

1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 x 8 x 9 x 10
11 x 12 x 13 x 14 x 15 x 16 x 17 x 18 x 19 x 20
21 x 22 x 23 x 24 x 25 x 26 x 27 x 28 x 29 x 30 x 31



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxthe Timexx

4:00 PM



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxthe Weatherxx

80 degrees, but it's a dry heat.

26.667 degrees celcius

Fall - Spring - Summer - Winter

xxxOUT of CHARACTERxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Do pre and post skips as related to your character! Good evening friends!

[Apocalypse Alice]

██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████


A gloved finger tapped rather impatiently upon the golden arm of the throne. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The halls of the Chateau were dead silent- which was a good thing, usually. It meant that all the work that was meant to be done was being done, and that no one was slacking off within the walls. The problem was, that meant they could be out there slacking off. A slow sneer formed on his lips, and he slowly pushed himself to stand, before beginning to pace. He wanted his status report. He needed to know whether or not his plans were continuing to be a success, or if he needed to start his precautionary measures- things were bad enough now that he knew one of the Royals was suspicious. The figure continued to pace, pausing eventually before a grand stained-glass window that depicted a rather gory scene of a woman being beheaded. Lightning cracked outside. As he stood there by the window, his mere presence had sent such a chill through the air, so that the glass began to frost over until the scenery below was no longer visible. Not that there was much scenery to see anyways. The Chateau was hidden in the middle of the Black Forest, where none other than the members of the Syndicate dared to tread- and where none other than the members of the Syndicate could survive.

"Master! Master! I'm home, sir, M'lord, yes, yes yes, I'm home~!" An all-too cheery voice echoed through the halls, followed by the sound of someone skipping. Kitty must have finally made it back. He turned from the window, his hands moving behind his back, as he waited. The girl in question skidded into the room with a giggle, waving enthusiastically. "Ahhh~ Master, I did it! I took care of the Seraphoon boy. Too bad, he was really cute. I coulda kept him as a pet yaknow!" She wiggled a finger. "Ahh~ just kidding, I wouldn't keep him. He was too much fun to destroy~!" The way the young woman looked up at the male was very clear- she was in love with him. Kitty had been in love with Master Laeforn for years, and everyone knew it. Laeforn, never once, had seemed to return the affections, other than to make her his most trusted associate. His voice was cold, however, as he spoke.

"She knows."

Kitty didn't seem to understand. "What? Maaaster, what are you talking about?" She clung herself to his arm, tugging on it playfully.

"Kitty, darling." A gloved hand lifted, as he tilted it up to look at him. Her cheeks flushed. "You always were my favorite. It's such a shame that the sister of the Seraphoon boy knows it wasn't suicide, like I instructed. You ******** it up, Kitty. You ******** it up very, very badly." With a single swift movement, she was pushed to the floor, emitting a tiny squeal of surprise and discomfort. She began backing away from him, he only stepped forward, removing the gloves from his hands and putting them in his pockets. This seemed to terrify the girl even more. She was right to be afraid. His voice bellowed out as he commanded her. "Don't you back away from me. Come here. NOW."

There was a moment of hesitation, but she soon scrambled forward. He smirked, and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. "What should I do, Kitty? Should I forgive you, my sweet?"

"Y...yes, Master! Please forgive me, I'll be better, I won't mess up anymore!" Her voice echoed through the halls as she pleaded with him. He leaned in very close, his lips only an inch from hers. She closed her eyes, expecting a kiss.

"The price of failure is fire." As he spoke, the fingers of his hands pushed into the flesh of her cheeks, without mercy as she screamed out in agony. Her jaw was easily pulled away from her head, resulting in a gory, bloody mess. He held the jawpiece in his hand a moment, before setting it ablaze with fire from the palm of his hand and dropping it on her lap, so that she too would go up in those flames.

Just as this was taking place, two further agents entered the room. They didn't ask any questions- it was very clear that Lord Laeforn would not be taking any.

"You see, my friends. I will accept nothing but perfection. Clean this..." He gestured to the still dying and burning Kitty next to him, "...Mess once it's ash. Now. Tell me good news."
As he had spoken, a servant had approached with a towel, which he used to wipe his hands clean with, before pulling the gloves back onto his hands.

"We kept the Florentino Princess in the Chambers for quite a while. She was nonresponsive to all forms of torture. Bit a finger off of Jenkins, so we had to put her down. We are sending a recruit to bring us a new screamer from a noble family in Terranous to replace her."

"How did you manage to get her to the Chambers in the first place?"

"We took her the same night we took the Naiad. Paralyzed her with darkness, and him, we simply had an inside unit slip a sedative in his drink. They, unfortunately, put too much, and it killed him. The inside unit has been... dealt with, for punishment. They await your verdict in the Chambers."

There was a silence, and the two agents fidgeted slightly, probably afraid their Master would repeat what they had just seen him do. By now Kitty had stopped screaming.

"...You have done well. Rest for the night. In the morning I will make an announcement to the others... it is nearly time for our true plans to begin. The darkest hour is coming, my friends. The darkest hour is coming."


██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

❖ Feeling: Calm❖ Thinking: Soon.❖ OOC: HUE HUE HUE❖



Cataclypsaaa

[Cataclypsa]

"Lord Ivanou! Surely what you are saying is not so? Caspian is a shining sea star! A refined gentleman! Surely he would not shirk off on his duties. We demand an investigation immediately of Antioch! "

Such was the demand of King Ahti Pontus, King of the Niads, a true bloodlined Nereidyce. Normally a jolly old king during relations, he was so angry that on his watery throne, from what Antaeus could see through the portal, he was puffed out. In the seclusion of Antioch Palace, he was refered to as King Ahti Prawntus. The pun was there. And Antaeus had decided to run with it.

Where was the wall of Neutrality? Currently sitting on the other side of the portal, but he too was in the dephs of one of the underground lakes, deeply hidden in the grounds, away from any royal. A form that from the waist down, was sleek black scales. He had taken his mer-form which was that of an orca, something that he hid from everyone, save for the Keepers. His green eyes regarded the King, but the king could not see him back with lack of underwater lighting. Thus, they could only see his shadowy mer-form.

"Such is not the case, as you know it" Answered Antaeus. "There is nothing you can do. We simply have the proof to show that Caspian simply abdicated from his duties. Perhaps your sun was not the shining pearl you thought him to be. Likewise, Abbysalina now faces severe consequences." A wall of neutrality, the tone never rose nor fell

"Surely you cannot suggest sending--"

"I am not suggesting, my leige"

"This is an outrage! How dare you think otherwise, Lord Ivanou?! To do such a thing could have meant death in our nation if--"

"When it comes to matters of Abyssalina, you always have my loyalty. But within these sacred walls, my being is sworn to Antioch." Antaeus interrupted. He would play the concerned Noble Water Lord, the son of Noblewoman Thalassa Ivanou, nee Thalasa Marianus of Abyssalina. "I am simply giving you the facts of the case. Our country faces severe consequence as a result of this heinous act. Therefore, I am telling you our only option." Antaeus continued. The king de-puffed for a moment, finally becoming so angry he was at a loss for words.

"So you suggest we send... well..." The soft spoken queen, Queen Namaka Ganga Nereidyce, finally spoke up for her husband. Her soft blue tendrils of her jellyfish form floated out, glowing softly. Similar to her eldest daughter, her skin kissed by more sun, she was a southern Niad with exotic poise and grace. A true beauty to be seen. "We only hope that he does not cause any more trouble, our other baby boy." she tried to word it. "And what of my other children?" she asked.

"I can assure you that they are fine. I am sure that Zane will be happy to see his fellow siblings" came the response. It was settled then. But then again, it was always settled. "Prince Zane shall be sent here in no less than a week. A day later, and you face the threat of Nimbutanium and Terrannous." he finally finished before the watery portal was cut off.

Lord Antaeus Ivanou. Of Abyssalina.


******


"So if what you are saying is true, then have forces been sent out for our little growing plant?" Came a concerned, but stern voice through the side of the portal. Sitting in front of him, his arms criss-crossed, was the King of the Nymphs, Selvans Abu-Damu Florentino. It was clear where Price Lucas had gotten the majority of his looks from. Bright thick hair billowed back behind the man like a wild willow, tattoos from the forearms up told the tales of his conquests, his stories. Next to him sat his queen, Demeter Aranyani, whom Antaeus always considered to be the ideal princess back in her day. And that was more so because when she walked, she seemed to have a trail of plants grow from her, and small avian follow after her, deeming her safe

"We are doing all that we can, my Lord Chieftain" Antaeus replied. This time, it didn't matter if he was seen or not through this end of the portal conversation, for he was in his Satyr form, sitting at the highest point of Antioch keep. Granny Smith lay around his neck lazily. It was here he grew the most fragile flowers. This time, he chose to show his face, and his bare chest, but the lack of clothes was not unusual. To them, Antaeus would resemble his father, Lord General Cernunnos Ivanou, a Nymph that was more beast than plant, he had served his time on the battlefields, tearing through enemies in his full beast form, a large minotaur. And even in his 'human' like form, the man would stay a Satyr. It was here where he and his father looked alike as well.

"So we have our little wild flower but she. Well..." Demeter spoke outright. "She is but a free thing still Antaeus. And she is different from the others. But she will want to be free on her own."

"My Queen, there is nothing you need to worry about. I know that she will be wedded to the Eldest Son of Ignatior, and--"

"But they are our mortal enemies!"

"Correction my Lady, they are your enemies. If the boy can learn to leave his battles on the field, then so should we."

"How dare you speak to the queen like such!?!"

"Boy, you may be the son of Cernunnos Ivanou, but you should watch the way you speak to us!"

"But we cannot deny Demeter that he is very much like his father."

"And that is besides the point Selvans"

"Are we done? Shall I give five minutes?"

"You will serve five years in the Underground if you keep this up--"

"And you will serve the rest of your life to think to allow your emotions to get in the way."

A calm but strong voice, a wall of neutrality.

"I speak to the Queen like I speak from the mouth of Antioch. You know how I have my full loyalties to Terrannous, but I have my loyalties to Equilibriatu" Antaeus told them firmly. "Do you wish for Ignatior to send back The Dragon, freed from his duties?" He referred to Cygnus now, the eldest Imp son, whom had been both a war criminal to Terranous, and yet, a heroic price figure to Ignatior. "Or shall I tell him to blaze a path right to the capital?"

Silence.

"I thought so."

Lord Ivanou of Terrannous.

Two nations. Two Lordships. One Wall of Neutrality. One Antaeus Ivanou.

******


Such went the meetings of Antaeus with the leaders of Terranous and Abyssalina, neither knowing of the other's shortcomings with their child royals. Or at least, children to Antaeus. And also not knowing of his Lordsip in both countries thanks to some lovely paperwork. The next days were possibly the most frazzling part of the Groundskeeper's days. With his security easily threatened by the small angel fluff, it was deemed too dangeorus for him to go back to the cottage until the situation had been cleared. As such, Ava had elected to keep him with her in the library. He actually learned quite a bit of what Ava did, something Antaeus never really had gotten to see before.

At nights though, this made the man blush, feeling it almost improper. After all, Ava was a young girl, he was six years her senior to be precise. And while a perfectly consenting adult, he felt that he was intruding on the more intimate Study, kept neatly by the topaz-eyed maiden. Antaeus was almost in a tizzy over what the royals would think; one wrong move and they would be a front cover on some poorly written tabloid. Some nights he would sleep in a different corner of the study, a bed had been placed for him, and it was here she had pledged to him that she would keep watch over him. She compared it to her duties, and he would have compared it to a guadian angel, but calling any cherub an angel, even a half cherub, was a derogatory term. Nonetheless, he would often tell her where he would be going if he wished to be alone, something that happened often.

And Maelthra... it had been messy to say the least.

Antaeus found that he would try his damnedest to be angry, and the night after, he seeked the man out, only to find Maelthra deep within the Mechanicombs, so tired emotionally and physically that he didn't have the energy to fight back even if he wanted to. He had coaxed the Satyr, soft words, a gentle proposition, and somehow, Antaeus would find himself and the Castle Keeper wrapped in eachothers arms, snuggling like two idiot peas in a metal pod. Maelthra would tell him to turn off his eyes though, as Antaeus' piercing green eyes would glow to allow him the ability to see. Each time in public he would find ways to tend to the grounds as he normally did, and most nights he would return to the study, keeping away from Maelthra because of the heated and broken relations. At night however was a different story. Late at night, when he assumed Ava was asleep, he would find himself seeking out the Castle Keeper, wishing to mince harsh and sass-filled words.

However, with a well placed kiss in a heated embrace, the Groundskeeper was lost in the depths of red irises and scarred arms of the Castle keeper, and only through breaks of air between their kisses, after the intimate touches on the tips of the horns on his head, did he forgive Maelthra. "Idiot rotisserie chicken." would always slip out, however, he let his lips on his tell the rest of his opinion.

This morning, Antaeus awoke, not wearing anything on his chiseled body except for the piercings he always wore. He was sore, more sore than usual, and he had looked at the long day that was ahead of him. He thus dressed in the white airy robes, which underneath lay a black and fitted sleeveless tunic with black pants that cut at the calves. Antaeus stretched but his lower back would still hurt greatly. Right before he left, he turned to look back to look at the culprit of his soreness sleeping soundly. A deep blush covered the Groundskeepers' face as he thought of how Maelthra brought him to his bed, reminding the Satyr of their closeness through throws of passion, speaking the language of forbidden lovers, and calling eachother's names until they would collapse upon one another. Lost in bliss each time, frustrations released and skin tinged with blush and sweat, they would fall asleep in the arms of another. Best friends, and yet more, and yet less...

Now it was later in the day, and Antaeus had not spotted any of the fellow keepers. He was out farther on the grounds as usual, but he hadn't realized how much he wandered. He had started to hear singing at some point, and thought he had ignored it, but seemed to be lured down a path. Eventually he came to the source; Princess Kailani was on a rock once more, resting along the waters as she sang softly to herself. Antaeus' eye twitched as he almost felt like jumping in Niad form first, and he couldn't help but not stare her down. He felt those flustered feelings he had felt the night before. He however had decided to step away, and this time seek out Maelthra about it. This was not the first time he had been lured. It had happened thrice before, all by accident, and without the Niad noticing. He hoped Maelthra or Cinaed or Ava was in the room, preparing for Bingo night. An odd choice by the royals, but something fun nonetheless.

He finally rushed quickly back, back to the familiar walls of the palace, and inside through the grand hall. He hadn't realized it was already afternoon, and he grabbed the first glass of cold water he could, downing it, looking for other fellow keepers, the blush on his face, he himself panting, but also his eye twitched as he tried to think of anything but the siren's form burned in his mind. Thank goodness for the robes that kept the rest of his body hidden.


Where am I:Grand Room


Who am I with?:Nobody


Wearing: Robes in the picture with black tunic and black capri like pants underneath the robes.


OOC: I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS WALL OF TEXT GUYS. THIS IS NOT PER NORMAL. So don't worry, it's setting up plot.

[Mekin Dotelle Valentine]

ᵂᴴᴼ... No one, then everyone!
ᵂᴴᴱᴿᴱ... Nimbutanium, then Antioch!
ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷᴵᴺᴳ... Why is my brother dead? Why am I here?
ᵂᴱᴬᴿᴵᴺᴳ... A nice black suit, with a bright blue scarf, of course!
ᴼᵒᶜ... IT'S HAPPENING!


In Nimbutanium, there's a story that is told.

This story is about a young prince, very bright, very fun, and very, very powerful. This prince loved to play with his siblings, loved to fly through the skies of the Cherub city, and loved to use his powers. For he had a very special set of powers, which afforded him a very special skillset. This prince had the ability to form, control, move, and otherwise permutate barriers made of solid air. This made him very popular with everyone in Nimbutanium, with his friends, the commoners, and especially his family. He was a beloved child, who could do no harm.

That is, until one day...

The child was out and about, practicing with his barriers before a very important meeting with his parents and diplomats from one of the other clans, all the way from the forest of Terrannous. This excited the Prince very much, and it made him eager to practice harder with his barriers. That didn't work out in his favor, however, for when he spotted the Nymph diplomat headed towards the castle, he wanted to show off his powers. He flew over to the diplomat with the utmost grace and agility, landing perfectly on a nearby wall, above the man. This attracted the attention of both the diplomat and his guards.

"Hey mister, watch this!" the Prince yelled out, and held his hands in front of him. The air began to shimmer and shake, and a large ball formed, shimmering with streaks of rainbow colors, casting the area around them with the dappled light. It was beautiful to behold, a marvel of the boys achievements. The diplomat stared wide-eyed at the boy's display of power, even letting out an amazed gasp. That is, until the ball began to waver. This sparked panic in the Prince, and in turn a bolt of electricity began to race across the surface of the orb. He began to panic more, and the electricity got more intense. The yelling of the diplomat and his guards was drowned out by the buzzing of the orb. "I can't stop it! Help! Run!" he yelled out, but it was too late.

The orb exploded with such a force that the ground shook and the wall that the Prince was standing on shattered like a house of cards. He had had just enough time to form a barrier to shield himself from the blast, but the diplomat and his escort hadn't been so lucky. Soon, the Nimbutanium guards arrived and brought the boy in front of his parents, who, rather than see their child executed for the murder of a Lord's diplomat, swore to the Nymphs of Terrannous that they would make sure it would never happen again, at any cost. They solemnly promised to the Lords of the other clans that they would not be harmed by the child, and would take it upon themselves to mete his punishment.

And so it was, that the carefree, outgoing, and outstandingly powerful Prince was sentenced to spend his days confined to the inner chambers of the Nimbutanium castle. Never to see the light of day, or feel the free air on his wings. The Locked Away Prince is a tale told by many in Nimbutanium, though some do not believe it is real. All that is known is that where the incident supposedly occurred, a tree now stands, and that someday, somehow, he will get out...


"Artemis...It can't be!" the boy screamed. Tears fell down his face, contorted in anger, sadness, and hopelessness. Standing in the middle of the Great Chamber of the castle of Nimbutanium was Borealis Seraphoon, son of King and Queen of the Cherubs. Jet black hair fell down into his eyes, tears dampening his cheeks and the striped scarf which he wore around his neck. His simple garb consisted of a plain pullover sweater and some relaxed pants, but he was anything but relaxed at the moment.

"It has been confirmed, Borealis. Your brother is dead. He killed himself." King Aerys Seraphoon said, his proper and powerful voice resounding through the quiet hall. He sat in his throne, clad in golden armor, huge wings draped across the back of the massive chair, perfectly white and magnificent. His face showed no expression but a permanent frown of contempt, though his deep blue eyes showed what he really felt: a deep and powerful sorrow, one that if unleashed could level mountains. "And since it had been decided of him to go to Antioch for the Great Peace, then so it must fall upon you to replace him, and fulfill his responsibilities which he could not--..." the King said, the last word cut short as his voice seemed to get caught on his own words. He raised a gloved hand and coughed slightly into it.

Borealis only stood there, staring at his father with deep brown eyes, which almost seemed black. His tears had stopped now, replaced now by a look of fierce anger and determination. "Fine. I will go to Antioch. I will do what must be done." he said, his voice no longer cracking and sorrow-ridden, but instead replaced with a strong, defiant tone. The King stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, then closed his eyes and nodded gently, as gently as he could. Bo turned on his heels and began striding away from his father, and when the huge chamber doors closed behind him, the King let out a small sigh. A single shaft of light shone from the ceiling and bathed him in the warm radiance of the sun, his silver-streaked black hair shimmering in the light. He stared overlong at the chamber doors, before speaking once again, speaking words that he wished to speak for the last time, quietly, "Goodbye, my son."


Two days later, Borealis was on his way to Antioch. Sitting in a large carriage, with a small table and glass containers of water and juices, with some small finger sandwiches. Sitting across from him were two guards, clad in a less-shiny version of the King's armor, inlaid with silver instead of gold, with stylized wings on their shoulders, and doublets bearing the symbol of Nimbutanium. Bo looked out the window, watching the large castle grow larger and larger. He let out a sigh and looked to the guards, blinking his dark eyes a few times in curiosity. "You're not staying with me at the castle, are you?" he asked, his bored expression not changing. Neither of the guards answered, but stared at him through the eyeholes of the masks on their winged helmets. Bo sighed and looked out the window again, "No, I guess you're right. Would cause too much of a fuss."

The castle of Antioch was upon them now, and the whinnying outside the carriage meant the driver was pulling on the reigns. Four huge white Pegasus drew the carriage through the air, their great wings flapping against the cool air. The carriage began slowing down, and descending towards what looked like a large front courtyard, paved with cobblestones. He looked back to the guards again, "I'm not a prisoner anymore, but it sure feels like I'm just trading one prison for another." he said matter-of-factly, and the expression in the guards' eyes went from stern and alert to almost gentle. Bo leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, and held his left hand up in front of him. A small orb instantly materialized in his palm, the center of the sphere arcing with a small cloud of electricity. "So take me back home and set me free and I won't blow you up." he said, his voice now thick with a threatening tone, the feathers of his large black wings ruffling up. The guards immediately tensed up and let out scared noises beneath their masks, which elicited a laugh from Bo, who let the ball dissipate into nothingness and fell back in his seat. "I'm jut kidding fellas. I won't hurt you." he said as he looked out the window, which made the guards relax once more. He supposed the tales of his grand power really had been exaggerated during his time in imprisonment.

The carriage alighted the ground soft enough that his glass of water on the table barely even shook, and Bo let out a sigh. He put his hand on the handle of the carriage door, and looked back to the guards. "Well, this is it boys. I'll see ya when I see ya." he said, bringing two fingers to his forehead in a salute fashion. Outside the carriage the driver was unloading his single trunk, a plain wooden box compared to the ornately-decorated carriage within which he rode. He looked out the window to the castle in front of him, and smiled, "Here goes nothing..." he said, and opened the door.

[Mekin Dotelle Valentine]

MOOD...Bored.
LOCATION... The Library, and his thoughts.
COMPANY...Himself.
OOC...Uuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh


Ignatior. The City of Fire and Steel. Home to the Imps, who work in the mines, who engineer great machines, and who destroy and incinerate their enemies on the battlefield. This is about one who is the latter of the three. Cygnus Iblisanza, referred to as The Dragon, is no doubt one of the deadliest creatures in existence. His ferocity is unmatched, his fury unrelenting, and his power astronomical. He is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, cutting down his enemies with such a surgical precision and strength that most battles he is in are quickly ended.

Take, for instance, the battle of Drake's Hollow. One of the defining moments of Cygnus' military involvement, it was at this battle that the Nymphs of Terrannous truly realized who their enemy was. It was a dry summer day, and tensions between the two clans was at an all-time high. It was one of the first battles that Cygnus had been in, but it would surely be one of the most memorable.

The trees swayed in the wind, the grass across the rolling hills shimmering in great waves as it was tousled by the breeze. Cygnus stood on a large flat rock stuck in the side of one of the hills, with a couple other Imps around him. Their cumulative heat had singed the grass away from the rock around them and blackened the earth, while they stood and observed the scene below. A large group of Nymphs, in their tribal manner, had gathered in a huge mob, with some of their more elite fighters in the front, beating their chests and being overall very unsporting about the whole affair. Meanwhile, behind Cygnus and his lead group, stood the Ignatior Army. In their red and black military uniforms, with steel plate armor clasped on over it, they stood at rank with their weapons at their sides. Each Imp was outfitted with a flintlock rifle and a sword, with the exception of a few who had no weapons. These were the Imps to be feared, those who believed in their power so strongly they needed to weapon to aid them.

Cygnus took a deep breath and let it out, picking up his weapon. A long black shaft, with a blade at the tip the length of most shortswords, his specially-designed polearm was one to be feared already. He wore a simple outfit of a black fighting robe, with his self-made symbol emblazoned on the back, the blue flame surrounded by a circle of black squares. He wore no shoes, wore no gloves, and wore no armor. His golden hair was short, shorter than it was in his time in Ignatior, and his golden eyes were fixed on the Nymphs below.

This went on for what seemed like forever before what seemed like an earthquake began to shake the ground beneath their feet. Cygnus looked at the Imps at his sides and nodded, and the men turned and began issuing firing orders to the ranks of Imps behind them. Meanwhile Cygnus stood there on the rock, unphased by the trembling earth. He could see the Nymphs who were causing it, performing what looked like a slower version of tai chi, stomping their feet at each interval, which then sent the reverberations towards the Imps. Cygnus couldn't help but smile as he readied his polearm, twirling it above his head and readying it at his side, blade pointed towards the Nymohs below. He assumed a crouching position, hand resting on his knee, as he smiled again, this time a more sinister tinge to the expression, as the heat began to rise in his body. His bare feet began to glow a bright blue, and he had to bite back a wince of pain as the heat got more intense. This continued for a few moments before he barked a single command.

"Now!

Cygnus rocketed into the air, his feet ablaze, leaving a bright blue streak through the air. His black robe billowed in the wind, his polearm held in front of him, as he angled toward the ground. There was an audible discord in the Nymphs below him as he neared them, the troops at the borders trying to form huge rock barriers to protect them from the living bomb that was nearing them. But it was too late. Cygnus landed dead center in the middle of the Nymphs and exploded, his body frying instantly as he began spinning like a dervish. Soon he was just a skeleton wreathed in blue flame, cutting down Nymph after Nymph. But it didn't last long, for one of the Squirrels got lucky and hit him square in the chest, or rather, in the sternum, with a rock-encased fist.

This knocked Cygnus veritably on his a**, extinguishing his flame. His body began to regenerate as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing up his polearm, and facing the Nymph who punched him. A hulking tower of a man, he was wreathed in a vine-entangled armor, with his fists encased in solid rock, and he was completely covered in tattoos, his long hair in a single braid that hung down to his waist. Cygnus popped his neck to the left then to the right as the Nymphs around them cleared a circle. That was one thing he admired about them; Even in the most heated of rivalries, the rules of engagement still existed. Outside of the circle, the Imps were just now reaching the Nymphs, having exhausted their rifle rounds. Cygnus continued to scan the Nymph as his body finalized its regenerative process, and spun the polearm, around in a blur of black and silver. The Nymph shot forward the surprising speed, and rock gauntlets met polearm as the two began their dance.

It was a flurry of blade slashes and shattered earth and scorched rock as the two fought back and forth. The Nymph was adept at his art, able to actually extend his arms to have a longer reach, and could reform the rock armor almost as fast as he lost it to Cygnus' furious slashes. It was a battle of rock and fire as Cygnus blazed with a blue light, using his flames to superheat the blade of his weapon. Back and forth they fought for what seemed like forever, until the Nymph grabbed the polearm, still in Cygnus' grasp, and snapped the shaft in half. This only phased Cygnus for a nanosecond, because as the blade end of the weapon fell towards the ground, he caught it with his foot, using the momentum from the fall to propel it back up into his free left hand, and sent the blade plunging deep into the Nymphs chest.

This barely phased the man, however, as he let out a deafening roar and pushed Cygnus back. His hands went to the shaft of the blade to pull it out, but it was no use; His rock armor was keeping the blade firmly set inside his chest cavity. Cygnus propelled himself forward with nothing but his raw power as he channeled his fire into his hand, the broken shaft discarded. He flattened his hand into a blade-like shape as it blazed a bright blue. The Nymphs watching the scene were silent now, as were multiple Imps who had stepped into the circle to watch the duel. The silence only increased when Cygnus' hand made contact with the Nymphs chestplate of rock, and instead of being stopped, burned a blazing hole in the mans chest. The Nymph ceased his screaming then, and looked Cygnus in the eyes. Golden orbs met green as Cygnus retracted his hand from the mans chest, his hand now extinguished, and covered in green-tinged blood. The Nymph dropped to his knees with a heavy, resounding thud, eyes still fixed on Cygnus. The circle around them stood in stunned silence as the Nymph fell flat on his face. Cygnus looked around at the circle, eyes in their converted form, with his sclera scorched black and his iris a bright blue. He stared at every single participant there for a long while, wearing nothing but the Nymphs blood, and the crowd slowly began to thin. The battle was over.

----

In the Antioch library, Cygnus Iblisanza sat. He was clad in a smart blue suit, with a black cravat with a red pin, and polished brown shoes, shone to perfection as always. His neatly-kept golden hair was long, but kept out of his eyes. He had no facial hair, as his regenerative property applied to only the hair on his head and, thankfully, his eyebrows. Beside him was a pot of tea, the steam rising from the cup resting on the saucer next to him. He sat there staring at the ground in front of him. There was nothing remarkable about the floor in this particular library; The carpet was rather plain, the hardwood floor beneath it worn and creaky. But it was what rested upon this floor that arrested his attention. A small pile of ash was on the floor between his feet, his blackened hands hanging over his lap in a defeated manner. He let out a small, exasperated sigh as he looked behind him at the wall, where there was a small section where there was clearly a book before. He bit his lip slightly, sighing again.

"s**t."

[Drunken Aunt Coral]

Zane was enjoying the kingdom, wandering about and helping out wherever he could. Since he had returned, he had learned where his siblings were and what they were doing. While apart of him felt sad, he really couldn’t be bothered to feel horrible. What an exciting adventure that would be! Getting to know new people was his specialty and the black haired Niad was always up for some excitement. One of the maids handed him a tapestry and thread and started to instruct him on what was to be done. When he had first returned back and asked to learn such things, the help was less than enthused. Most of the children preferred to stay away from helping and often had other duties that needed to be done. With the peace treaty now though, there were not royal duties that needed to be done so why not help the help?

Such gentle hands. You know.. those could be useful for…. well never mind. I won’t bore you with my shenanigans. Zane had leaned into the pretty little maid and he absolutely adored the blush that crept on her face from places that were hidden by clothing. A seductive smile slipped onto his face as he let his hands hover over her own to take the tapestry and get to work on getting the pieces onto the thing. When he took it over the woman shot up and scurried away to another group of women that worked in the castle. It wasn’t too long before they all started to giggle and looked back at the pierced and rugged prince. While he was nothing like his twin, he still managed to woo the ladies and was most certainly one of the more- well he was different.

A few hours must have passed when he heared the clearing of a throat. The voice was soft but stern and without looking up he smiled his heart stopping smile and greeted his parents. Mother, father. To what do I owe your presence?

Would you please put that down and look at us? Honestly I don’t know why you don’t leave that to the help. I’m sure your time would be better spent learning more royal duties.

On the contrary, Mother. I enjoy helping out the help… In more ways then one actually… I won’t bore you with those details though. Zane found a stopping point and really looked at his parents. His father was looking anywhere but at him and his mother was looking as uncomfortable around him as always. To what do I owe this pleasure?

Honestly Zane… You need to clean up- you know what, never mind. I’m afraid that scolding will fall on deaf ears. We need you to go to Antioch. Caspian.. Well… We need you to take his place?

Consider it done. I’ll go pack my things now~oh how exciting. Zane shot up and started to swim off to his room. He was in his mer form which was a mixture of snake and lochness monster rolled into one. His icy hair waved around him with the constant flow of water. His form was sleek and shiny and allowed him to swim through the waters at faster speeds than most, but that didn’t mean his coordination was the greatest.

Without waiting for his mother or father to say anything else, Zane was off to his room, throwing things into a bag and dashing out of there. He didn’t bother saying anything to his parents, something that he knew wouldn’t bother them and went to the waiting carriage above water. He bypassed the little man waiting to take his baggage and secured it to the top himself. The shock on the man’s face was priceless; it was almost like he had never seen a royal that wasn’t spoiled. Well don’t just stand there, we’ve got other royals to impress! Zane said in a very chipper voice. He slid into the carriage and looked out of the window. They sat there for a few moments before his door opened again and a head poked in.

S-sir. This isn’t for you… you don’t leave for another few days yet…

Zane only stared at the man wondering what he could have been talking about. The booming sound of the kings voice sounded and told them to leave anyway since Zane was ready. Zane scoffed at his father. Was it so hard for him to make it a little less obvious that he wanted his son gone? He pushed himself back into the plush seating, arms crossed over his chest. Soon enough though, the carriage was off to the lands far off.

Zane had heard of Antioch, the beauty of the place, the center of the four lands, but he didn’t believe how beautiful it was until he saw it growing larger outside of his winder. He could see a few of the help milling about and he was sure a few royals were there as well. He wasn’t sure where they would all be but he didn’t care. He would find them all, he was certain of it. Outside he could hear the wings of pegasi, and wondered which of the Nimbutanium royals were joining the little party. He had heard of the death and while he thought it to be sad, he wasn’t distraught over it like he would be if it were one of his siblings. The carriage holding the Seraphoon sibling landed and he could see a figure step out. He was cute, there was no doubt to that, and Zane couldn’t help but feel a stirring inside of him that would signal the seductive snake like thing inside of him. The other new coming stepped inside, opening the doors with what looked like apprehension?

Zane’s carriage soon came to a stop and he burst through the thing with a flourish. His long arm reached to the top of the thing to grab his bags only for a maid to beat him to it. He assessed her a bit, a blush crossing her face just like the others at home. So you’ve heard of me. I think I’ll see you later, love. The maid scurried off at his words, her face the color of the roses on the bushes around the plot of land. the lands really were beautiful, something that he could barely behold. Still, he had royals to swoon, butlers and maids to see. Zane was almost vibrating with the giddiness he was feeling.

Zane strode up the stairs and burst through the doors in his usual show boaty manner. A Seraphoon! I’m guessing you are just as new as I. Perhaps we should consumate this moment? A devilish smile was aimed at Bo, his leather and chain clad body showing anything but a royal appearance. As a matter of fact, if one didn’t know better- he looked like a stripper ready to take his clothes off and start dancing around sensually. It was an image he had worked hard at and accepted wholeheartedly.

Maids → Himself → Bo? ↔ ᵂᴴᴼ
Home → Antioch ↔ ᵂᴴᴱᴿᴱ
So excite → much swoon to be done ↔ ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷᴵᴺᴳ
Refer to picture ↔ ᵂᴱᴬᴿᴵᴺᴳ
Hee hee hee. Zane is in the hizzouse ↔ ᴼᵒᶜ

”Mekin Dotelle Valentine”

[Eucliffe]

"Lily, we bring you grave news from Antioch."

With the sole intention of slinking back into her room without any interruptions, Vermillion did not expect to be called upon by her mother or father. For the past few years, they rarely scolded their wild flower for arriving home, caked with earth and mud. It was now a habit to turn a cold, blind eye away from their youngest offspring when she popped out of the forest like a burr rather than a rose. However, it had been a while since they stopped the nymph dead in her tracks. Since it had been so unlikely, Vermillion staggered to a stop and lifted her chin to meet the eyes of her parents.

It was then that she realized the severity of the circumstances. They spoke gently yet quickly to the wild flower. Every tidbit of information that they relayed to the girl forced her to retreat a step away from her father and mother. Concern and apprehension flooded her mind as the scenario unfolded before her, the royal nymphs' wishes soon becoming apparent as they drew closer to the end of their explanation. When it came to the affairs of the other kingdoms, Vermillion was not particularly fond of paying much attention. Her birthright amongst her siblings made it so that even if she had some sort of value, the kingdom would have to burn through at least four other nymphs before taking on the beast tamer as a last resort.

"I don’t understand. What do you mean Ivy ‘simply vanished’?” She snapped skeptically, unsure what kind of trial her parents were attempting to throw in her direction. "I thought those Holders or something or another were tasked with keeping them safe?"

King Selvans’s eyes darkened, as did his wife’s, at the mention of the supposed watchers of their royal children. "Incompetent fools, those Keepers. They possess such sharp tongues despite their inadequacy to hold their role as protectors."

The conversation wore until the sun had set. It did not take Vermillion long, however, to discover why she had been spoken to and had been sought in for the matter. She was supposed to settle in as her elder sister’s replacement, to be married off to some Imp Prince as a result. Up until that point, Vermillion voiced her frustrations but had managed to keep her composure—it was the fact that she was now chosen to be used as a bartering pawn that had set her off.

"I refuse! I will not marry some self-proclaiming imp for sister’s sake, or for Terranous for that matter." Vermillion spoke with such strength, that it became more evident to the Florantino rulers that their daughter was more than just a nubile spirit. "I—Look at me! I am hardly anything close to Amaryllis or Ivy!"

Through an exasperated sigh, the queen nodded her head with closed eyes and whispered, "We’ve realized that, but you are the only one who is suitable enough to replace Ivy—even if it means because you only share the same blood."

Fuming with rage, it took a matter of hours before Vermillion had managed to quiet herself down. Even then, it took a number of guards to escort her back to her room where she swore to her parents that they would rue the day they decided to use the beast tamer as a substitute in some twisted marital affair.


______________________________________________________


Among the majority of Terranous’ guards, Vermillion only stood to the height of their chests. She was well-developed, but petite nevertheless. Regardless of how compactly sized she had been, she was squeezed into an open-roofed carriage with five guards settled alertly around her, keeping her cozy and snug in her seat. Her father had initially underestimated his estranged daughter by setting her off with two guards, but when it became an extraneous task of escorting the nymph into the carriage, he assigned a handful more. She was kicking and screaming, thrown over King Selvan’s shoulder like she had been a nymphling. Her fingers clung to the door of the carriage, using every bit of willpower to propel herself out.

In due time, she managed to coerce the guards into allowing her to ride one of the creatures from beyond the plains. She had her own unique charm of her own, even if she didn’t possess the same type of beauty as her sisters. Even though she was never granted a moment without a chaperone, Vermillion managed to find a herd of elk nearby the route they were taking. Beckoning and cooing them into arm’s reach, she masterfully grasped one firmly at the neck and heaved herself onto its back.

"Atta’boy."

Hours slipped by and it was soon late in the afternoon before the troupe arrived at the castle. By then, Vermillion had granted the elk some rest as she marched on beside him. Her toes sunk happily into the dirt of the road, comforted by the warm and moist surface of the earth.

As they approached the estate, Lily’s eyes narrowed as the large doors in the distance swung open. "There are…other arrivals?" She murmured, peering back suspiciously at the guards who encircled the royal nymph.

"We were not aware of other replacements, if that is what they are," one of the captains admitted, before continuing. "Perhaps it is one of the current residents, or the Keepers coming to greet you."

"Hmm…yes. You must be right." Even though she had agreed, Vermillion was filled with nothing but doubt, but still she trudged on.

Finally, they arrived on the neutral territory and stood before the grand palace of Antioch. "I suppose this is farewell, men!" With an exaggerated salute, she turned to the elk and gave it a final pat before she marched forward, chin high and eyes set on her prison.




LOCATED SOMEWHERE IN FRONT OF ANTIOCH'S CASTLE

FIND ME WITH NO ONE...YET.

THINKING ABOUT GUESS WE'RE HERE, LILY!

[Mekin Dotelle Valentine]

ᵂᴴᴼ... My guards, and then, some guy?
ᵂᴴᴱᴿᴱ... In the Antioch entryway.
ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷᴵᴺᴳ... Who IS this guy?
ᵂᴱᴬᴿᴵᴺᴳ... A rather plain outfit, consisting of nicely-fitting pants and a plain long-sleeved shirt, with a scarf of course.
ᴼᵒᶜ... BO AND ZANE BEST FRANS


A voice interrupted Bo's thoughts as he stood in the entryway of the Antioch castle. The boy turned his head to see what looked like some sort of...Niad escort. And he called him 'a Seraphoon'. Did he not know the proper introduction? This was nowhere near as odd as what he said next, about wanting to...consummate, the meeting. This incited a tilt of the head as the dark eyes studied the man before he replied. "Oh but I've never had fish before." he said, his voice sounding almost bored, but he accented the remark with a smile. A sly little smile that could be taken a thousand different ways.

After he spoke he looked away from the fishy stripper and to the hall around them. It was rather large, though not quite as large as some palaces in Nimbutanium. He had to stifle an extreme look of boredom as he looked back to the Niad again, "I'm Borealis, by the way. Or Bo, for short." he said, his voice perked up a bit. As long as he spent in captivity, he had hoped that the first conversation he would have had would be with his siblings, but he supposed the aquatic chippendale would have to do. He let out a small yawn and stretched his arms above his head, as his large black wings extended themselves straight above his shoulders, making a huge 'V' form, and relaxed back into their resting position. He felt worn out already, though he mentally attributed it to the trip. The truth was far worse.

During his captivity inside the castle in Nimbutanium, Bo had had no real exercise per say, causing him to become lean and skinny, though he was actively trying to gain some weight in the form of muscle. His wings suffered the most, however, as due to their abnormally large size, they required a specific amount of crucial activity which, when gone without, caused severe atrophy. Bo had suffered this atrophy for a couple years while he was imprisoned, but the past year or so he had been able to go to a larger chamber within the huge castle and get used to flying again, if not for only short distances. He was still nowhere near his agility and grace he had when he was a youth.

He brought himself back to the present as he heard noise outside. He turned, his hands in his pockets, and gazed upon the newly-arrived Royal. Or, rather, some savage claiming to be one. Riding an animal? What kind of tribal was she? His eyes danced across her body, soaking in her figure. "I guess she gets plenty of attention. Might afford some of mine." he said, to no one in particular, but he was sure the leather-clad Niad heard the comment. He didn't care though, because he found himself reminiscing about back home. Or rather, back to his other prison. He had had a very...close relationship with one of the handmaidens in Cardea, the household keep of the Seraphoon family, at the heart of Nimbutanium. She had visited him regularly, and even...well, that's for another time.

Bo crossed his arms, his wings relaxing around his shoulders to make it almost seem like he was wearing a long cloak. He studied the newly-arrived girl, no doubt a Nymph. If there was one race that he had a particular dislike for, it was them. And Bo wasn't one to dislike many people. But their savage nature, their adherence to tribal customs, and their overall monstrous nature disgusted him. It made him inwardly angry that the world hadn't collectively progressed to the level of the Cherubs in terms of societal structure and power. Though he enjoyed being the most powerful. Even his disdain for his parents for doing what they did to him didn't overshadow the fact that he was proud to be a Cherub, and was not afraid to look down upon others.

[Drunken Aunt Coral]

The man couldn’t help the smirk that danced across his face. The look of boredom was something the niad could easily turn around if he really tried. He wanted to get this party started and the comments made only fueled his intrigue for the new guest. Well I’m sure that we could change that. I’ve got something you could really enjoy.. Zane looked the prince up and down and watched the massive wings stretch high above the two of them. They were black as night, the favorite color and time of day for the Niad as a matter of fact.

Zane. It’s a… pleasure… to meet you Bo. Zane gave a large smile hies brows raising slightly at the man. That name just rolls of the tongue. I’m certain that we could put that to good use. Zane gave a large smile, his pearly white showing the man next to him. The leather clad fellow turned his attention to the open doors and saw what looked like a creature from the woods. She was hardly clean and her attunement with the animals only meant one thing. She was apart of the nymph clan. He wasn’t very fond of them, what with all of the rumors circulating, but he couldn’t help but notice how adorably cute she was. A perfect specimen to introduce to his lifestyle.

I dont’ suppose we should go say hello? A Ménage à trois perhaps would be a good introduction for the three of us. Perhaps they can send in some maids and a few of the butlers. Zane gave a rapt tap to one of the servants behind. There were many good looking people here and Zane couldn’t wait to get his hands all dirty. He shot a wing over his shoulder to the butler who was no crimson in color and turned his attention back to his new found friend.

He looked around the grand entrance briefly before his eyes landed again on the dirty little girl. He stepped forward then and sidled next to her. Well hello there little one. I don’t suppose you would like to join my friend and I in a little welcoming party. He winked at the girl, a seductive smile on his face. He slid an arm around her quickly and stooped down to her level. He knew she was of age if she was here, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a sort of wrong doing there as he was the eldest. Twenty eight years young and still kicking. Settling down was the last thing on his mind. Our friend Bo here has never tried fish sticks. I was going to remedy that. Would you like to try one? They are mighty tasty you know. Zane’s seductive smile only grew from there, his charm in swing now with the fresh meat before him.

What delicious joy this brought the man. He hadn’t been able to flirt his way around for a long time now, at least four months he had stayed away from the darker side of the sex scene. He was a submissive after all and this just meant that he would get to teach these people what excitement was all about.

Bo → Lilly ↔ ᵂᴴᴼ
Antioch ↔ ᵂᴴᴱᴿᴱ
So excite → much swoon to be done ↔ ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷᴵᴺᴳ
Refer to picture ↔ ᵂᴱᴬᴿᴵᴺᴳ
Fishy Stripper. Aquatic Chippendale. If these aren’t his nicknames I’ll be disappointed. ↔ ᴼᵒᶜ

”Mekin Dotelle Valentine”

”Eucliffe”

[The Mysterious Priest]

There's a game,
That I play.
There are rules,
I had to break.

Maelthra Faern

_______________________________________________________________________________

The morning had been a rush for Maelthra. First the death of a Cherub noble, and now two more had run off? Fantastic. Antaeus was really starting to slack on his duties it seemed. Though, as much as he joked about it, Maelthra knew it was truly difficult trying to keep this entire campus secure. The fact they accomplished it with such a minimalist group was truly impressive. The ten days prior had practically been a nightmare. The first two days, Maelthra was practically no where to be found. Slowly though he started catching up on duties and helped his fellow Keepers tighten up security, especially after the disappearance of two more Royals. Fortunately, the occasional visits from Antaeus helped relax the stressed Keeper. Honestly, it probably helped Antaeus as much as it did Maelthra. The yelling helped break the emotional stress both men were constantly under, while the throws of passion as they were intertwined helped break the physical stress. Well, for Maelthra anyway. It was fortunate for the poor Groundskeeper that he was a wonderful botanist, able to whip up fast-acting cures for the soreness throughout his back and backside.

This last night with Anty had put Maelthra in a wonderful mood, which allowed him to think much better about how to properly address the situation. Antaeus had been busy addressing the Kings and Queens of Terranous and Abyssalina since he was one of their own, and that left Maelthra to inform both siblings and suitors of the Youngest Nymph daughter and the Eldest Niad son abdicating their duties and running off with one another. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. After making mention of the turn of events, he requested the presence of Cygnus, Cascade, and Zephyra so that he may introduce them to their new future husbands and wives. With the exception of Cygnus, he also made mention the opportunity to be reunited with long-missed siblings. Hopefully that would make this coerced meeting much simpler to achieve.

'And they wonder why we said the doors would have to be locked. Hah.'

As it drew into the afternoon, the help was dispatched and Maelthra began getting dressed. He opted for a dressed down professional look, donning a white button up blouse, black slacks tucked into leather buckled riding boots bunching just beneath his knees. The cuffs were rolled up just above the elbow. Black bands clung to his biceps like the black vest clung to his well-defined chest. At last he put on his mechanical gauntlet. Clips fastened the upper plates securely to his shoulder and bicep, while the gauntlet fit snugly to the rest of his arm and hand. Maeltha's thick black locks were tied back now, giving a clear view of his red eyes. Given how hectic things had been, he also took the opportunity to groom and trim his beard back into a manageable and even state. A maid approached him shortly after he finished dressing to inform him the new guests had arrived.

'Let the show begin.'

---------------

It was just a few moments later when the Castle Keeper strolled down the Foyer at a quick pace and opened the great doors of the Castle. Before him, he spotted the newest arrivals. Borealis Seraphoon, Zane Neriedyce, and Vermillion Florantino. Maelthra had made certain to familiarize himself with the files on each of the Royal heirs. While the latter two had taken some time, Bo's file was nothing new. Maelthra had still been studying under his Uncle's tutelage when that incident had occurred. Nasty business. While he was certain it's possible much of it was an accident, he still had to be careful about the possibility of him losing control once again. Man, what is it with these Cherubs and the risk factoring sky-rocketing by the second? Fortunately, that's was Cinaed was there for. Security and risk management. Days had been spent painstakingly securing the castle against more potential outbursts from any of the Royal heirs. He just hoped they wouldn't have to test them. While the keepers themselves would be mostly fine, it was the other royals Maelthra was concerned about.

A wide smile flashed across the tall man's face. "Greetings, Royals of Equilibriatu! I am Lord Maelthra Faern, the Castle Keeper of Antioch. I'm sure you have many questions about why you are here and what is expected of you, but we have a very busy day planned so we will have to talk while we walk. Follow me please." he spoke politely, but with a familiar authoritative tone. With one gesture, he motioned for Butlers to assist in carrying the luggage. Maelthra motioned for the trio to follow him, turned on a heel, and quickly began back into the large castle. As they traveled, he gave a brief history lesson of the place, what they did here, and especially pointed out fine works of art from Nimbutanium, Abyssalina, and Terranous alike. From floating glass sculptures, to water fountains and brilliant gemstones embedded in tapestries. The first stop was through the West Gallery, and up to the second level. Speaking quickly, he gave them basic information about the rooms, rules for their stay, and what liberties they were more than free to take.

"Mr. Seraphoon, you'll be staying in Room 230. Mr. Nereidyce, you'll be in Room 240. And you, Ms. Florantino, will be staying in Room 220." He looked at each of them as he spoke, moving at a quick pace. Just as the help began making their way up the stairs, Maelthra was leading the three new Royals back down the stairs, through the West Gallery, and up through the Foyer. He stopped and turned to the three. "Here to the East we have the Dining Hall. I'm sure you all must be very hungry from your trip, so we will be having dinner very shortly. But first, there's one matter we must attend to." He then started towards the west and into the Study. Once inside, he looked for the other Royals whom had been previously summoned and escorted to the study. Large plush seats sat throughout the room with bookshelves lining the walls and tables scattered about. Towards the middle was a large table set with enough room for everyone, as well as snacks and drinks. Leading the three to the middle table, he gestured for everyone to be seated. He paused for a moment, allowing time for everyone to become situated.

"Now, I know this is all very sudden for everyone, but such is the life of a Royal. I am, again, Lord Maelthra Faern, and I'd like to thank you all for being here. I am the Castle Keeper here and, as you three already know-" He paused, gesturing towards Cygnus, Cascade, and Zephyra. "I am in charge of overseeing Castle Antioch. So should you have any questions or concerns, I'd be more than happy to assist you. Now then, onto business. Princess Vemillion Florantino, you are here in place of your younger sister, and therefor set to be wed to Prince Cygnus Iblisanza." He took the moment to motion to both Cygnus and Lily.

"Prince Zane Neriedyce, you are here in place of your elder brother and therefor set to be wed to Princess Zephyra Seraphoon." Again, he motioned to the two.

"Finally, Prince Borealis Seraphoon, you are here after the tragedy that befell your younger brother." Maelthra's face became grim, trying to make certain everyone understood he took the situation very seriously. "The Seraphoon family has our condolences. But, unfortunately, you have been brought forward to take up his responsibilities. Therefor, you are set to wed Princess Cascade Neriedyce."

He looked about the table, ensuring his messages had come through clearly. "Normally I am very open for questions, but for now I must go and make sure all the preparations for our Dinner and upcoming night of Bingo are all going well." He smiled to everyone in the room. "I invite all of you to attend, as there are some prizes available that might catch your fancy." Maelthra gave a wink. "Good day everyone, and should you need anything, the Maids and Butlers can assist you with anything you need. Farewell!"

With that, Maelthra briskly exited the room and allowed the Royals to mingle. While Cygnus might be a bit outnumbered, he felt no one should be completely and totally uncomfortable. He felt perhaps a smaller setting could help people open up and make proper introductions. As he left the room, however, he turned just in time to be nearly overrun by a embarrassingly distraught Groundskeeper. "Whoa, Antaeus, careful friend. Is everything alright?"

_______________________________________________________________________________

Where: Foyer // 2nd Story // Study
With: Lily, Zane, Bo // Lily, Zane, Bo, Cygnus, Cascade, and Zephyra.
OOC: Sorry for the horrid post, and sorry for puppetting a LOT of people. If there are any problems, please let me know and I'll be happy to fix it. I'm just trying to help lead plot along and not have people waiting on me.

There's mistakes,
That I made.
But I made them my way.

EucalyptusCoral

Mekin Dotelle Valentine

Eucliffe

Eternally Gone

HeartWeird

[Drunken Aunt Coral]

◢ζucas Ϝlorentino◣
Eldest Nymph Son

╔══════════════════════════╗

The week flew by for the Nymph. He couldn’t believe that there wasn’t something or someone that they could have brought in place of his siter Ivy. Instead he was going to see his other sister, Lilly. It had been a while and he never saw her around the castle. He missed the little spunk, but having her come here was putting him in knots. Kai and Lucas had fought, made up, and kissed since the big incident, but the kisses were never more than pecks and he could feel the tension between the two of them. He felt the allure of her and she couldn’t even realize what he was doing to her. The barbaric man had risen out of bed much earlier than his counterpart and gotten ready for the day. He was nervous for some reason. Having another sister there, not knowing where the other had gone? He felt like a failure as a brother almost.

Lucas escaped the castle before the sun had even risen, he was going to meditate and try to calm his nerves for a while. He pulled the Earth into a cocoon and started to do his breathing exercises. Images danced behind his eyes and then everything was clear. He was laying in a dark sea and he could feel his muscles starting to relax. He didn’t know how much time had passed but when he reemerged from the earth, he found it light outside. It looked to be around noon to him from the way the sun was sitting. He stood from his grassy knoll and he started towards the castle. How long did they have to stay there? Did they have to have children before they were allowed to escape to their own homes? He didn’t know.

Can I get some breakfast? Toast and butter will be fine, and a glass of milk if you would? He found a seat at the table and waited for the breakfast that he wanted. He grabbed up a book that sat on the edge of the table, no doubt left there by someone and he thumbed through the pages, not really concentrating on whatever words were written. Lucas instead found his mind wandering to the past events between everyone. Though there wasn’t much going on, it seemed that relationships were building. Even he and Kai’s relationship was building. He thought back to the other night, when he pulled her closer after a fight they had. The emotions he felt for the woman were complex at best, but he could feel a stir beginning in the pit of his stomach.

A plate was set before him and he gave a smile to the maid that deposited the food. He bit into the toast and welcomed the grain. Still, he found his mind wandering again. They had been here for a while now and it was time for them to see things and people. Voices sounded in the grand entrance, his voice was alluring, much like Kai’s. Lucas leaned back in his seat and looked at the trio. One of them was Lilly. His brow raised and he was ready to get up, but the three royals were whisked away quickly. He sat there, wondering what he could do now that he knew his sister was there. No doubt the castle keeper was showing them to their rooms. Lucas thought for a moment longer before taking another bite of his toast and taking a sip of milk.

╚══════════════════════════╝

OOC: Where I’m athanging out, eating food. ThinkingSo confused. What is happening Feeling confused

””

”cataclypsa”

””

[Eucliffe]

It was all quite… extravagant. It was evident that this particular territory had been overwhelmingly neutral, as though marking as a statement against the rest of Equilibriatu where kingdoms stood divided. Even if it wasn’t particularly homey, the variety and change was breathtaking enough. Vermillion was pleasantly distracted by the new world displayed before her. She certainly was looking forward to the forests and plains, but gathering insight on foreign kingdoms and their sense of origin? Well, that would be an intriguing experience.

Wandering up the pathway with fists clenched firmly at her sides, the petite nymphling appeared more like an unruly wild child than a respectable royal. Despite being the daughter of a simple and nature-based kingdom, Vermillion appeared much rawer than the others of her kin. With flesh resembling pine wood, hair shining like the rain-swept leaves on the canopy of a tree, and a primal stance of a warrior, she was a creature caught between something endearing and undomesticated.

As the distance between the door and the nymph narrowed, Vermillion spotted a pair of silhouettes swiftly move through the windows of the castle. She paused mid-step, delicately raising an ear cautiously as she narrowed her eyes on the glass. Before she could identify the source, the doors began to swing open once more as several maids came bustling out to greet the nymph. The servants hurried to her side, ushering her into the shadows of the walled enclosure before her. "No, I don’t have any luggage—“ she attempted to clarify, but the maids were far too busy bustling around her to actually recognize that this nymph arrived empty handed.

What felt like a tidal wave, the sweeping arms of the maids eventually guided the nymph into the castle. It was cold. The hard, chilled floor sent an unwelcoming jolt up her legs and into Vermillion’s head. Her fingers twitched to curl around her arms in warmth and comfort, but her mind was too focused on absorbing the even more intricate décor. Neutrality, yet again.

It didn’t take long, however, to pick out the most intriguing things planted in the middle of the room—the two male foreigners. According to their garments, Vermillion could only decipher that they were not there to serve or wait on her, not that she wanted it in the first place. One of the young men quickly approached her, closing the gap between the two of them in the matter of seconds. Vermillion stiffened at the proximity, never quite meeting someone who had appeared to be as friendly as this fellow. As he spoke, Vermillion’s slanted her eyes onto his before he directed her attention to the second presence. Gaze slowly transferring over to the second young man, the nymph’s eyes widened at the sight of the pair of wings that cloaked its owner like armor. A cherub? She thought, a pique of delight striking her senses. But it was a dull interested compared to the grand scale of things. Certainly not as handsome as he, the nymph confirmed, reminiscing back to the cherub that she had hoped would be standing in this one’s place.

"I don’t eat fish, or anything that once walked, swam, or flew.”

Before she could gather a response, a third man entered the room and greeted the trio enthusiastically. Revealing himself as Maelthra, a Keeper of Antioch, Vermillion’s eyes narrowed on him with distrust. After all, it was in his hands that her own sister had disappeared without anything to provide her family. They had told her mother and father that Ivy ‘ran away’, but her sister would not have done so… would she? Regardless of such possible lies and secrets, Vermillion was not willing to trust any of the Keepers readily.

Just as quickly as he had arrived, Maelthra was already whisking the three away further deeper into the castle. Another swarm of maids and butlers came to take her nonexistent luggage away, to which she had to repeat again, "I don’t have anything with me.” With that, she squeezed past the towering crowd and followed closely behind Maelthra with wary eyes, casting occasional glances at the art he had been directing their attention to.

Vermillion did enjoy art, but more of the sculpture kind. She, herself, liked to think that she was an artist in that sense… though, she never dared share that talent with any others. Once, long ago, Ivy had discovered a mound of dirt that the youngest nymphling swore to her had been a masterpiece. "It’s a Pegasus!” She howled at the time, stomping her feet in aggravation.

Once she was spoken to, Vermillion peered back at Maelthra and nodded her head silently when she had been told which room she’d be residing in. Soon after, he explained that they would be dining soon enough to which Vermillion was more than thrilled to hear about. "Perfect.” After hours and hours of travelling, she was looking forward to some fine cuisine—there was absolutely nothing on the barren route leading to Antioch.

Before dinner, however, there was a matter of business that Maelthra wanted to tend to first. Vermillion sighed, mentally groaning at this aspect of her trip that she did not want to have to deal with. This portion included escorting the nymph princess into a study along with other residents of the castle. There she found three other faces, none of which registered as any of her kin. Maelthra was quick to introduce the new arrivals to their respective fiancés, identifying a blonde man known as Cygnus as Vermillion’s soon-to-be-husband.

In the matter of moments, Maelthra quickly disappeared, leaving the royals to gather and… mingle.

Without skipping a beat, Vermillion strode over to the Imp that she was supposedly going to marry. Sizing him up with a studious gaze, Lily cocked her head to the side and frowned at the man. As she stepped closer, she realized that her toes had nestled into something uncomfortably…messy. Peering down to the floor, a black streak marked her feet and the ground around her. "Ashes.”

Pinching her lips together, Vermillion paused silently before raising her thrilled, yet challenging expression to the man before her. "Well, I cannot say that I’m pleasantly excited to be your not-so-lovely wife, but I am interested to meet you. Despite our differences, I’m certain we can agree that neither of us are interested in capturing one anothers’ hearts, yes?” She peered over her shoulder at the other occupants in the room, stifling a chuckle. "Or did they believe we were that naïve?”





LOCATED SOMEWHERE IN THE STUDY

FIND ME WITH BO, ZANE, CYGNUS, CASCADE, ZEPHYRA

THINKING ABOUT HOW ENTERTAINING THIS ALL COULD BE.

OOC HOPE THIS IS COOL.

[Cataclypsa]

A soft song came from the lips of the siren. Water softly lapped upon the sides of her face like gentle kisses. Shining scales from pink, to purple, to bright teal, and blue hues decorated voluptuous tanned hips. Truly she felt at home in the water, her long curly hair dampened and laying on her front as per usual. Kailani had noticed for the third time now she had seen the Groundskeeper poking around, watering the surrounding wildlife, but before she could open her eyes to look at him, he was gone in an instant. Thus, she had decided to dismiss him.

So much had seemed to happen in these ten days. When the news was broken to herself and her other siblings about Caspian, she had never felt so enraged in her life. However, she had to keep a calm composure. After all, she was the eldest daughter. To think that Caspian had simply abandoned his part of the treaty was unacceptable in the Siren's eyes. She had known her brother to be reclusive, but when it came to politics, he would put everything aside. And it seemed that once again, he had done so, violating the pact they were all here for. At least she would take the time to check up on Trillian and Cascade, giving them the love and attentions that they had deserved to the best of her abilities. She focused on her breathing exercises, but even then at times it didn't help. She wondered who would be sent in Caspian's place. Perhaps another noble, underneath them?

She would have thought Zane, but that would have only been a silly dream that she knew couldn't come true.

Then, her thoughts wondered to the other nobles that shared the space with her. She thought of the faces of the different royals. She made a note in her head to talk to Zephyra first. Kailani would have gone to talk with the Cherub daughter, but with the passing of her brother, she felt it inappropriate to approach her with politics. Then she thought of the Imps. While she thought of each one, golden hair and gold eyes seemed to warm the Siren's subconscious, goosebumps now showing on her whetted skin. A soft smirk crossed her features, wondering what would become of that. She hadn't been aware that playing with fire could prove to be so... amusing, to say the least. Ten days of this game playing and she knew that eventually, his will would break, just like every other person before him. And she would relish in it as she extinguished his flame once more. But maybe perhaps, she'd allow him a kiss, or an embrace, letting heated hands roam for the first and last time as she brought him into the watery depths.

She'd taste the heat of the Dragon before relinquishing him...

Kailani's mind finally wandered to that of her newer family, the one that she was supposed to be betrothed to, for they too had suffered a political embarrassment out of this. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Maryl, but she hoped to in due time, now that the embarrassment had died down on both ends. She was always sure to give a polite nod and smile to the nymph daughter at least. Her smirk turned into a smile and giggles as she thought of Percy, the precious pinecone. Since her ugly moments and that evening, she found really a new friend, a nugget of gold in a large forest perhaps. One of those nights, she had been stolen away by him. Gathering snacks, blankets and pillows, the two of them made a little fort in one of the common rooms of Antioch, and it was there that they laughed and talked all night. For once, it was nice to forget about the marriages and the differences. Speaking of marriages--

The Siren finally focused last on her betrothed, Lucas. And what a bizarre plane of events did happen with him. Some nights she and him, in an attempt to snark at each other, ended up having informational conversations about their respective lands. Other nights there was tension and unease, and anger and snark, but one night stood out in particular. Her mind flashed back on one of the nights where it down poured.

___________
There had been a bit of a fight, which for them was nothing new, she could remember it now. She had separated the beds she had been so angry, and yet, he had tilted the earth to bring it back to him. Moments later, after a stare down, a kiss had occurred. And then another. And then a fifth, and a twentieth.

She had been lost in his arms. "My betrothed, must you be such an animal?! " she had said in-between lust filled kisses. "What you said was a make-up peck has been much more than that! I thought you said you didn't like fish?? " came soft pleadings of a siren so used to being in control.

"...But you're so tasty." had been the gruff response. "I should have eaten you long ago. Only ten more~"

"Absolutely not! "

"Don't act like you don't want this either.... Just let me enjoy my dinner..." deep tones coaxed her, lilting her. But it should have been the opposite.
______

Kailani liked to think that it was a miracle she stayed pure throughout that night. But her mind was concerned. She wouldn't let something like that happen once more. She would prove to him that he was nothing but another challenge to be had, another conquest. And yet that night, teal eyes had begged him to continue. This could not happen.

So now she sang while floating aimlessly this afternoon, electing to stay away from her betrothed as she collected her thoughts. Perhaps she would catch some poor fly in her trap this time to help her cool down, and keep in control, just as she always had before.




₩нεґ℮ ℑ Ѧღ: Out on the grounds, in the large lake.
₩ℌø Ѧღ Ї Шїтℌ: Alone
Ѻʊт Ѻḟ тнε Çðñ¢h §hêll (ϴѺ℃):The tension grows! And setting up for her and maelthra plot. WOO. Also lil collab there between Coral and I. >u<
ѕιяєη'ѕ $øᾔℊ øḟ †hê Ðå¥:
ωєαяιηg: Nothing, in aquatic form

[annamatronics]

who: just her mech → Ant & Mael ;;; where running around outside → Dining Hall → Grand Room
wearing: mech → mech suit ;;; feeling: tired, but actually in a good mood!
ooc: whoops long post! also. CORAL. if the prank isn't cool, lemme know and i can change it!



❝

It had taken the better part of a week for Teegan Iblisanza to convince the ever-diligent groundskeeper that she could run around in her mech without tearing up his precious land. For days, anytime she asked would simply be met with an excuse as to why her mech would stay exactly where it had been stored when she arrived, which made Teegan positively itchy. Her precious mech sitting there, gathering dust, and Antaeus really wasn’t even going to let her climb into it and stretch its gears? By the time the first week (a whole week, how had they been here a whole week?) had ended, Teegan was almost at her wit’s end. Luckily, that was when she finally figured out that Antaeus was much more open to suggestions in the mornings; he just seemed to be in a more receptive mood early in the day. So, finally, she had worn him down, and he gave her clearance to bring her mech out to play.

Being inside the giant machine was the closest thing to home that Teegan had felt since leaving Ignatior. It was a product of her own doing, built from a bare chassis and constructed by Teegan herself, completely customized. The metal beast was at least thirty feet tall, humanoid in shape, entirely crimson but for the orange accents along it, particularly on the tips of the orange blades sticking from the shoulders. Inside it, Teegan was not simply a pilot but a part of something larger; the mech was an extension of the Imp princess’s own body. When she moved, it moved, reflecting every twist and turn and twitch of her muscles, powered by Teegan’s heat and the power flowing within her. The mech was a perfect melding of metal and magic.

In long, great strides, the mech leapt and sprinted across the expansive grounds of Antioch, metal feet thundering and shaking the earth below it as it ran. And within it, Teegan was actually enjoying herself. To be moving and propelling and moving, after a week of being nothing but an idle royal. She missed her home, she missed her responsibilities in the Ignatior military, and she missed rushing off into battle, her mech at the forefront of a battalion of bloodthirsty Imps. Even as she and her mech romped around the grounds, it brought back fond memories of tearing through trees on Terraneous, ripping through hordes of winged warriors from Nimbutanium, annihilating the cannon-mounted manta rays of Abyssalina.

Cygnus may have been the Dragon, but General Teegan was deadly in her own right.

She simply did not get as up close and personal as her brother tended to get. Her hands were not usually bloody, but her mech was usually soaked in the thick liquid. (After which, she would no doubt disappear for the better part of a day to wash her dear machinery.) Yet this was not the first time she had hopped into the mech simply to flex her muscles. Where other people would prefer to spar or train, Teegan would prefer to be out in her mech suit to fly or in her actual mech to vault around. Whatever got her powers flared up, working off some of her excess heat. This time was no different. If anything, this time was much more of a stress relief than usual. Give her a battlefield over a castle full of royals any day; the past week had been one giant blur of tension. Now was the first time in days that Teegan felt her muscles could actually relax, even as she was using every ounce of energy in her body to command the beast melded around her.

Despite the energy it took to keep the machine alive, Teegan spent the better part of the day inside it, leaping and running and doing practice swipes with the blades in the machines arms, though she was careful to avoid harming any of the surrounding nature. She didn’t need Antaeus on her case, and she certainly didn’t want lectures from any of the imps—especially from Percy, that impossibly upbeat squirrel.

But Teegan was in such high spirits that she didn’t even mind having to keep from destroying anything. By the time the sky was showing the first hints of an oncoming dusk, Teegan was finally willing to call it a day. The mech had been out and about for hours on end; it needed a rest as much as Teegan did. The machine walked across the grounds much slower than it had run across them earlier in the day, the pneumatic hissing of pistons making it sound like the beast was breathing, the cranking and clicking of metal gears sounding like creaking bones. To any outside observer, the metal giant would have seemed very much alive.

Teegan directed her darling mech to the corner of the ground where it had been stored when she had first arrived, and though she was reluctant to climb out of it, she could not ignore the hunger biting at the back of her stomach. She had been so engrossed with the activity that she had skipped lunch entirely, but that didn’t bother her much. So she curled the mech into as compressed a ball as it would go, slipped out of the small cavity in the chest of the machine, closed it all up tightly, then was sure to pat the stationary hunk of metal’s arm, which was still hot to the touch after a day of movement. “I won’t stay away for so long from now on,” she promised the sleeping beast before heading away from it.

As she walked back to the castle across the admittedly-peaceful grounds, the Imp was spent but happy, exhausted in the best way possible. Her shoulders had lost all the tension that had been building there for a week, her posture and movement back to their usual easy control. Incredibly, she was even smiling, actually smiling. Whereas the muscles of her face usually did not know how to form anything other than a smug smirk, this smile was a smile that was tired but genuine, the first of that type of smile for at least a week. Using all of that pent-up energy had done her a world of good.

When she finally made it to the Dining Hall, her smile had faded, but it was clear that she was in a better mood than she had been since she had arrived at the castle. Or, at least she was not feeling as homicidal as usual. She entered the large room to find a few people milling about—including a particularly brutish Nymph sitting at the table with some food. For the first time, Teegan was able to look at him without feeling a bright ember of hatred burn in the middle of her chest; this time, her mind kicked in before her temper, and she realized an opportunity when she saw one. As she walked by, she flicked her wrist subtly. The milk in the Nymph's glass listened to the command of the Imp, and sure enough, the liquid was soon at a silent, pleasant, rolling boil. Rather than stay and watch the fallout, Teegan merely smirked to herself (ah, there was the smirk, back at home on her lips) and walked past, her pace staying constant.

After she had snagged an apple from a passing maid’s platter, she glanced around, eyes landing on two people in the Grand Room with whom she had not gotten the chance to interact much this past week. Antaeus and Maelthra stood outside, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Teegan might have opted not to intrude on their conversation, but she needed to assure Antaeus that his grounds were unharmed, so she thought she would stop over briefly. It was only after she had approached more that she noted how flustered the groundskeeper seemed, which made Teegan lift an eyebrow as she came to a stop near the two Keepers. “You look like you have had quite an afternoon, Antaeus,” she greeted dryly. “If this is any consolation, your grounds are perfectly safe. Well-kept, too. I hadn’t taken the time quite to appreciate them, but I covered quite a bit of ground in the mech today. Every flower in place. Impressive work for only one groundskeeper.”

Was she pandering to him? Maybe slightly. She truly was in a much more generous mood than usual, and besides, she owed him for letting her use her mech. A compliment was the least she could do. After the light flattery, she glanced to the other Keeper as well, nodding to him as she greeted simply, “Hello, Maelthra.” She could have left them alone then and there—but she actually was quite curious as to why Antaeus was so agitated. So she stayed put, simply biting into her apple as she glanced at Antaeus, seeming bored but unable to hide the curiosity in her quirked eyebrow.

❞

EucalyptusCoral

Cataclypsa

The Mysterious Priest