here comes the sun

lux // sky monarch affiliated with concordia-rpg

[cloudwxlker]

THE WRECKS ― buried treasure (closed for @ofsybaritic)

The Wrecks was one spot in the Village where Lux found perhaps the most excitement. To hear a human’s stories about their world was intriguing, but to see and hold such foreign objects herself was absolutely gleeful. The day after the welcome bonfire, she travelled to the Wrecks in search of more trinkets to add to her collection in Caelum. Currently, the kingdom housed a large display case of objects from the human world, all with quick descriptions or pronunciation explanations.

As she searched through the most recent wreckage, she found a plastic bag with a yellow cup on the end held together by a string. Then, she found another, and another, and placed them happily around her neck as she continued her search. When she heard a noise elsewhere, she quickly flew to the top of the airplane to look below. A wandering human, perhaps?

“Syrah! I’m up here!” She called, waving at the figure below from the plane’s nose. “Look what I found!” She held up an oxygen mask as pridefully as though she were holding up a trophy. “There’s more, too! Do you think we can use them?”

[cloudwxlker]

THE WELCOME BONFIRE ― clean-up crew (closed for @fieryblazes)

For someone who didn’t enjoy cleaning up her own messes, and in fact often went out of her way to avoid doing so, Lux found an odd pleasure in cleaning up after others. Whether she did so because she thought it helped her image or because she was subconsciously feeding her savior complex was a question even she couldn’t answer; albeit nonetheless, she had always been among the firsts to volunteer for a clean-up crew. The night of the welcome bonfire was no exception.

As the monarch strolled along the shore of the beach, she followed a small tornado that moved along the sand gathering disposed decorations and abandoned utensils. Once, or twice, she had simply driven the tornado into the water, much to Caspian’s dismay. In the name of peace, however, when she reached the end of the shore, she paused, and looked around for a new method of disposal. Instead, she found a familiar face a few feet away.

“If you’re here to help clean up, now would be a good time to start, if you don’t mind,” she said, nodding to the tornado of trash behind her. “I thought I knew everyone who was helping tonight, but I didn’t know you would be. Fire sprites don’t usually help with much of anything.”

[cloudwxlker]

nimbus​:

    nimbus had hardly registered the first words that came out of her mouth as his mind wandered to the scene they just left before him. just barely, he can still hear the sharks splashing and swirling behind them in the water left on the verge of longing - just like him. it wasn’t until lux’s hands slipped off from his that he brought his attention down to her, watching her mind run a hundred miles at an hour figuring out his senses. “you’re right lux, I apologize. you know how carried away I get.”

   it was that reminder, that threat of being sent forth for his wrongdoings, that separated lux from umbra. the 127 years on concordia spoke differently - nothing would happen to him for what he did, whether on lux’s terms or his own, but his monarch never let him the end of it. “i’ll never stop thanking you, lux, for giving me the opportunity to change.” the sky sprite smiled as he brought a hand to cup the side of her face for a second. the show of affection nearly had his hank twitching unfamiliarly, a distant memory of him doing the same to a twin, but it was important to remind himself to show gratitude where it was due for his own sake. “what do you think of this new group?” 

“I accept your apology.” It was often too easy to earn the monarch’s forgiveness, as most were able to do so with a mere apology. Though she forgave, she didn’t often forget. She made a mental note to make a physical note in her binder that night to keep a closer eye on Nimbus. “Have you checked on Celestria tonight?” She asked. “It’s only her second welcome bonfire. I want you to have fun, Nimbus, but you can’t neglect your responsibilities.” If he belonged to any other kingdom, she wouldn’t care enough to lecture him. 

She offered a gentle smile as he touched her cheek. Perhaps he was still too chaotic, but she certainly didn’t think of him as an ungrateful human anymore. He was one of many sprites that confirmed her theory that humans could change, even if it took one hundred years. “You’re welcome. I believe in you. I think you’ve improved so much already, and you get better every day,” she said. “Oh, I’m so happy it’s a plane. I feel like we have a bit of an advantage with this group, don’t you? They obviously love flying.” 

Lux tilted her head, and a suddenly pitiful expression crossed her features. “Nimbus... You aren’t antagonizing the humans because you’re jealous, are you? Because I love all my sprites equally, even when there are new arrivals.” 

[cloudwxlker]

lynx​:

In what world would anyone ever consider her threats to be smile-worthy? She continued as if nothing had happened. The threats against her sprites, the reminder about Lynx’ not so kind approach to things – nothing. Lynx believed Lux to be naive or simply blind. Probably the first considering she was talking to a monarch, after all. She’d never been human, but, in a way, neither had Lynx ever felt like one to begin with. The sprite watched the Sky monarch with curiosity. For the first time in years, if not decades, she considered herself intrigued and surprised. Lux really didn’t care, did she? The mere idea of this just being a way to assert dominance annoyed Lynx. Because it worked – in a way. Because she found herself unable to act without overthinking. “What if I don’t any?” Lynx looked down towards Lux and didn’t move her body to be at eye level with her. No way, she’d stand, watch her from above, monarch or not. “Does that mean I don’t have one?” Lynx’ hands curled into fists and her jaw tensed tight enough to get her teeth to hurt. 

“It means ‘light’. There’s nothing light or good about me, never has been. I’m not Lucy,” her words were laced with pure disgust. Some of the other sprites near the fire were watching them with a mix of curiosity and surprise. A hiss from her part was all they needed to drop their drinks and run, leaving them completely alone. She almost didn’t dare to look back towards Lux, couldn’t stand looking at her. Lux was bright, like a star, brilliant, angelic, innocent. “Oh, I’m sure you’d be an Annabelle or Stella, I don’t give a fuck,” her harsh words were meant to divide them again as they were getting too close. Lynx felt comfortable in her own bubble, apart from everyone else, definitely as far away from Lux as possible. The monarch embodied power and an innocence Lynx didn’t dare to corrupt nor fully challenge. Who knew how well these two components would mix in the end? With the ongoing conversation Lynx’ fingers twitched nervously as her claws anticipated something new to claw themselves into. Anything, just something to slice. No use, not now. “I know him,” that’s all there was to say about their relationship. Lynx’ privacy remained sacred. 

Lux’ sudden proposal forced Lynx into a new state of shock. With widened eyes the earth sprite turned around and moved towards the woods, knowing Lux would probably follow. Fuck, fuck – is she going to kill me or what? I can’t kill her, she’s a Monarch. Fuck, my last hunt must’ve been a bit too much, but I only counted five kills, nothing worth mentioning. They all survive anyway, fuck, fuck. Lynx stopped her ongoing rant while turning around after they were within the heart of the nearest jungle. “Speak.”

“Light?” Lux repeated with intrigue. “That’s beautiful! You should have been a sky sprite.” As with all sprites that weren’t her own, however, the monarch could have easily listed the vices that prevented her from bonding with Lynx upon her arrival to Concordia. She was belligerent and combative and publicly so. The sky sprites weren’t perfect yet, albeit even the most rumbustious had made progress with their impulse control. “Stella?” She pondered it for a moment, then smiled. “I like that. That will be my human name from now on.” Suddenly, she gasped. “We should give all the Monarchs human names. Then we can talk about them without them knowing.” 

When they walked off to be alone, Lux looked around and wrinkled her nose. “The Village is beautiful,” she said. “But have you ever seen the Edge of the World? It’s the best view in the world. I’ll show it to you next time you visit Caelum ― which we should arrange soon, by the way. A bit of sun is good for everyone.” 

At Lynx’s encouragement, she looked around for a throne to sit upon, and, seeing only harsh logs or piles of dirt, settled instead with standing. “I know you enjoy toying with the new arrivals, Lynx,” she said bluntly. “And you’re corrupting Nimbus by allowing him to play along. I could bring my concerns to the other monarchs. But, as always, in Caelum spirit, I’m willing to compromise.” She smiled. “Let me judge the humans first. I’ll decide which ones have potential, and I’ll send the lost causes to you.”

[cloudwxlker]

laxmi:

mistrust (open)

laxmi had had enough chaos to last a lifetime during the last twenty-four hours. when a ship crashed on the shore just a few hours after her plane did, she thought it couldn’t get stranger. she had assumed it was a deserted island, but then the islanders appeared while she was still trying to make some sense of what had happened. everything smelled of smoke and salt, and nothing could be more appealing than a soft bed.

but no, they had announced a bonfire to welcome those who had landed during the day. welcome us to what? what is this place? where am i? some part of her rational brain was thinking maybe she had passed out or died, and this was all a product of her imagination. how else could she explain what she’d seen?

the only certain thing was that she didn’t trust them. the islanders made laxmi’s hair stand on end, and she felt cold even though the air was warm and fragrant —no trace of the stink of smoke, somehow. it was just a stupid feeling, probably just the adrenaline still running through her veins, yet she could not let herself appear scared. there were more survivors from her flight, some of them mere children, whom she needed to show strength for.

but she wasn’t about to simply accept that they were friendly. laxmi sat by the fire and refused every plate or drink she was offered, deciding to chew some leaves she’d found harmless instead. when she heard someone sit next to her, her eyes didn’t move away from the bonfire, scared that it might be one of the strange islanders. ‘oh, don’t be pathetic, they’re not going to eat you… or maybe they are?’ gathering up all her courage, she gulped loudly and extended her hand, full of leaves, at the stranger. “want one? they taste like mint.”

Lux had been craving a welcome bonfire for years. 

She believed herself to be the best monarch, sprite ― being in all of Concordia to welcome the humans, to take them under her wing and show them the light, both literally and figuratively. As she walked down the beach, she gestured toward the night sky for the stars to come forth and on command, the constellations grew larger and brighter. One human said to another, “Wow! Look at the sky!” And Lux felt her chest swell with pride.

When she spotted a human by their lonesome, she didn’t hesitate to approach them and introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Lux,” she greeted as she sat beside the woman. Then, she mimicked what another human had said to her earlier that night, “You have, like, amazing hair.”

The monarch blinked at the leaves in Laxmi’s outstretched hand. Then, she laughed. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly, though her giggling didn’t cease. “It’s just that we’ve worked all day to prepare food that you may like, and instead you’ve chosen to eat leaves. That’s so cute. Did you always eat leaves?” Sometimes, humans were high-maintenance and demanding and, other times, they were so, so simple. And ungrateful. “Humans always surprise me.” She leaned in close, as though telling a secret, and whispered, “I love it. Can I tell you a secret?” Then, she sat up straight again. “I’m so happy you're a leaf-eater and not a pirate.”

[cloudwxlker]

lynx​:

Too close for her own liking. Too many noises and faces. Lynx tried to drown out the unnecessary details. She didn’t care for their pathetic, superficial happiness, not while most would probably continue to be suspicious of one another the next morning. Weak, little, pathetic sprites– Lynx watched the flames dance in front of her. She absentmindedly drew lines into the sand with her claws. The lines turned into various shapes. Even the stupidest of pastimes was much more fun than actually joining the party. That was her reality, until Lux arrived and announced herself with a lame, innocent joke. Lynx looked upwards towards the monarch. She couldn’t help but tolerate and accept monarchs as her superiors. Mainly due to the fact that they were, in every way, superior to her. That certainly didn’t mean she’d just accept everything they did and stood for. 

Watching the other sprite, Lynx blinked slowly, unsure how to react now. The berries irritated her just as much as her words did. Such light and wonder surrounded Lux, Lynx had troubles looking away again. “No, I’m not hungry,” she protested. To engage in their conversation and show some respect, at least, Lynx stood up to greet the monarch more properly, “your majesty,” Lynx hissed and showed her fangs. With her hands pressed against her hips, Lynx’ stance was much more dominant than actually intended. Again, nothing but irritating words coming out of her mouth. Lucy? Fire?  “Lynx. My name is Lynx,” she got closer now, dangerously close, to assert even more of her so wanted dominance, to shift their control towards equality and away from the inequality. “I wouldn’t push my luck, your majesty.“ Lynx took a moment to inspect Lux before returning her eyes back to Lux’ face. “This is dangerous. Knowing me won’t make you happy. If you know what’s good for you and your sprites,” Lynx threatened. 

Lux raised a brow at the sprite’s fiery reaction to her peace offering. Despite her kindness, she wasn’t easily intimidated, especially so by a mere earth sprite. In fact, she found the other being’s stance more... cute than threatening. She crossed one knee over the other, and looked up at Lynx with a sweet smile. “That’s okay. That leaves more for me,” she said, popping the remaining berries passed her lips. “I think there’s a bowl of sour ones too, if you prefer those. I like sweet, but to each their own. They say your berry preference reveals much about your personality.” They didn’t, but sometimes she liked to create things in her mind and then speak them into existence ― an old habit. 

“I know, but Lucy is such a beautiful name,” she gushed. “If you had been a sprite of mine, we probably wouldn’t have changed it at all. Lucy.” Human names always tasted foreign on her tongue and sounded silly enough to make her giggle. “Honestly, what does that even mean?” If the origin of the name couldn’t be traced back to some aspect of the universe, she couldn’t fathom how humans thought of it. “Be honest. What do you think my human name would be?”

The threat didn’t faze her, though it did urge her to get to her point quickly. “Right. You’re friends with Nimbus, aren’t you? I saw you two talking earlier, not that I was eavesdropping,” she said quickly. “But... The wind has ears, you know.” She waved her hand as though her potential wrongdoing wasn’t worth further discussion. “Speaking of which... We should probably go somewhere more private. I have an offer for you.”

[cloudwxlker]

umbra​:

-

An eyebrow quirked at the small ramble, Umbra picked up on one thing before the rest, “Did cleaning up really cross your mind as your favorite ?”  Made sense for someone like Lux, though.  Only someone like her would find her own happiness in helping the rest of Concordia in such a meaningless way.  Umbra, instead, took charge in leading the rest of the sky sprites back home.  She didn’t meet with humans, not unless she felt drawn to them which didn’t happen often.  Instead, she left much of that to Lux.  They were no longer an unified front which only fed into Umbra’s edged resentment as a whole for the laws that had not aged well.

“We can discuss this later.” Umbra’s tone a little sharper as she cast her eyes over to her fellow monarch.  She wasn’t wrong and Umbra knew that but, she wasn’t about to take any of the blame for it.  “Tonight isn’t about us.”

By that, she did not mean their kingdom.  In fact, it was partly (moreover in Umbra’s eyes) about Caleum and it’s current as well as it’s future inhabitants.  Arms crossed over her chest, a finger tapped against her upper arm as she watched everything play out in front of her.  There did seem to be something missing, Lux wasn’t wrong and as acidic she felt, Umbra did miss putting on little shows with her.  So, despite herself, she went with, “Who said this couldn’t be a meteor shower?  A star show that leads into a meteor shower rounded off with fireworks might just be what this little get together needs to liven things up.  Who would we be if we deprived them of that?”

There was a time in which Lux may have flinched at Umbra’s sharp words. The sky monarchs were like sisters and, though it may be hard for the island’s new arrivals to believe, there was a time when the pair agreed more often than not. Lux had decided long ago that the tension hadn’t been brought upon by anything she had said or done, but was rather entirely to blame on the humans. “Well, it is, a bit, if we want new recruits, which we do,” she reminded her in a sing-song voice. 

She was surprised by Umbra’s willingness to perform, however. Her bright eyes widened and a large grin spread across her pale features. “Do you mean that?” The single agreement, while small, sparked a new match of hope within her ― hope that Umbra was returning to her former self, and consequently that they could return to their former dynamic. With a small clap, she declared, “Oh, Umbra, it will be the bee’s knees! All the sprites can wear a pair of wings, and you and I can do a dance!” 

Sometimes, (which was to say most times), the monarch’s excitement escaped her. Her mind moved faster than her mouth could. “It will be just like the first bonfire.” Lux had always considered the first welcome fest to be the best, despite the fact that centuries had made the details foggy. “Or was it the second? … Whichever. They were both great.”

[cloudwxlker]

THE WELCOME BONFIRE ― reunion (closed for @silverconcordia​)

It wasn’t until the end of the night that Lux found a moment to spare at Charlie’s. It was her least favorite place in the village, albeit considering her general distaste for the location, the rating wasn’t necessarily an insult. She sat at the bar with a sigh, her shoulders finally relaxing as she tucked her hair behind her ears. The success of the bonfire rested entirely on her shoulders, as most of the world often did. Ensuring that nothing went awry proved to be a greater challenge than she initially anticipated. Though it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle, she was fairly confident that she could finish stronger with a few drinks in her system. 

She ordered one drink and tossed it back, then repeated the process with another. Processing the taste was perhaps the only thing that stopped her from immediately greeting the person who sat beside her ― and thank the heavens for the hesitation. From the corner of her gaze, she recognized the sprite’s silhouette. She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Did I say you could sit there?” She accosted, looking at Silver with a challenging brow raised. 

It wasn’t in the monarch’s nature to be so blatantly unkind and yet, the attitude came so naturally when Silver was near. “If you had manners, you would have asked. That seat is taken.”

[cloudwxlker]

THE WELCOME BONFIRE ― competitive edge (closed for @skyumbra​)

“Preparing for a welcome bonfire is my favorite part of a welcome bonfire,” Lux mused. “No ― cleaning up. No ― meeting the humans, of course.” She looked at Umbra as though she had been the one to make the mistake. “Isn’t it everyone’s?” Turning to the water, she waved her hand, and watched with a satisfied smile as a rainbow appeared over the horizon. “You and I make such a lovely team, sometimes, Umbra. It’s a shame you don’t work with me more often... Anymore.” But she wasn’t bitter about it. Don’t even bother asking. 

The monarch waved her hand in the wind, gathering clouds at each side of the rainbow for a magical display. “Well, I’m excited, at least. I’ve put Nimbus in charge of fireworks,” she said, proud to have proactively found a task to distract the chaotic sprite. “I think we need something bigger, though. Something to compete with the other kingdoms.” Then, she scoffed. “Why does it have to be a welcome bonfire? Why can’t it be a welcome meteor shower?” She had been suggesting similar changes for centuries, but to no avail. 

“I think we should put on a show together,” she suggested. “Like we did before. Do you remember?” The more she spoke about it, the more excited she became. “Maybe a star show? Stars always shine brighter than fire.”

[cloudwxlker]

THE WELCOME BONFIRE ― sweet escape (closed for @savagcblooded​)

There were many things about humans that never ceased to fascinate Lux, one of which was the continuous evolution of their society. Their fashion, their slang ― “Lit,” she whispered to herself. How did they think of such things? Though it occasionally came out, sudden and harsh, she always attempted to keep her confusion muted in an attempt to maintain the image of an all-knowing being among the humans. Sometimes, however, she wished there were a cheat sheet to understanding them. “That’s lit. That’s... Light?” She furrowed her brows.

Among the small crowd that sat around the fire, Lynx was difficult to miss. Despite Lux’s disposition against her competing kingdoms, she and the earth sprite got along rather well. She couldn’t explain the attraction, the same way a moth couldn’t explain why it always returned to the flame. It simply did.

“This bonfire is lit,” she announced proudly to no one in particular. From the corner of her eye, she watched for Lynx’s reaction. Then, a bowl floated to her lap, and she took a couple of berries. The fruit left a fresh red stain on her lips, which spread into a smile as she looked at the sprite beside her. “Do you want one? They’re sweet,” she warned. Gathering a small handful of berries, she allowed the bowl to float back to its place and held a berry to Lynx’ lips. “You look fire tonight, Lucy,” she said lowly. “I mean that in a good way.”

[cloudwxlker]

nimbus​:

    it was alive again at last. the feeling that was often numbed out of existence far too often, for too long, then nimbus would have liked. the lightning that coursed through his veins radiated off him like the electricity that danced in his eyes and the thunder that sang in the distance. it had been sixty five years since nimbus had the gift of torturing meeting new humans… sixty five years of having to distract himself with the same old tricks to the same old faces but alas, his wishes were granted far sooner than he had ever hoped. he had almost forgotten how easy humans are the manipulate - especially in such a rattled state. 

    the fool practically fed from nimbus’s palm as the sky sprite had not even finished murmuring words of the most luxurious cliffs in the world that gave way to the most gorgeous view of any ocean a pair of eyes can land on before the human decided to agree and be whisked away. there they were, on the cliff with the human anxiously chatting away before nimbus grew rapidly bored and shoved the human off the cliff with an exasperated eye roll skyward. they were halted just before they broke the surface of the water and fell into the teeth of the shark below, dangling only for a second before a familiar voice sang behind him and his fun was ripped from his fingers. 

     nimbus’s eyebrows pinched in the middle as he crossed his arms and spun on the heels of his feet to regard his monarch reassuring the human away. “i’ll catch up to you later!” he called after the human as he turned his attention to lux. the frustration lacing her words only swayed his own irritation just a little as he offered lux a grin too big to be anything but sweetly guilty. “sixty five years to be exact, lux. I would rather paint the sky red tonight if you would let me so kindly. I must have missed the ‘we’ portion for I simply did not remember agreeing.” nimbus tsk’ed as he offered his arm to accompany lux back to the bonfire. “perhaps you know what I mean when do you not think the island is getting too… full to let some stay?”

"Sixty-five years? Is that all?” To Lux, waiting for the barrier to drop had felt like an eternity. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Nimbus. I hear it’s common for people to forget things,” she assured. “I forgive you.” As they walked together away from the cliff, she was reminded of the fact that the sprite’s past varied drastically from her own. “Too full?” She stopped, dropped her hand from his arm, and looked at him strangely. Sometimes, it took hundreds of years for sprites to un-learn the terrible thoughts and traditions they had been taught as humans. She reminded herself to find her patience and, within a moment, had done so. “That’s a wicked thought. You don’t mean that,” she said gently. 

“The humans are bad, but it’s our job to make them good.” The speech was one she gave on a daily basis, often to those who neither did anything wrong nor asked to hear it. “Imagine where you would be if I hadn’t helped you when you were a human. You could be living in the village in a dingy little shack,” she said. “Or, even worse, you could be a member of another kingdom, like earth or... Fire.” Sometimes, he frustrated her so that she wished he was.

“You’ve almost broken a law tonight. They could torture you, if they decide that you did,” Lux reminded him. As a monarch, it was perhaps the woman’s duty to bring her concerns regarding Nimbus’ behavior to the attention of the other monarchs, albeit she had already decided without hesitation that she would do no such thing. The sky kingdom had a reputation for housing outstanding law-abiding citizens, (perhaps because of instances like tonight, when Lux would fail to report something she certainly should have), and she didn’t intend to ruin that. Furthermore, she feared a discussion of even the smallest attack on the humans could jeopardize the peace she had worked so hard to accomplish. “If anyone asks, we’ll deny it. Humans aren’t very reliable, anyhow.”

[cloudwxlker]

THE WELCOME BONFIRE ― damage control (closed for @stormsxige​)

A successful welcome bonfire was one filled with laughter that echoed to the mountains, squeals of amusement and surprise that were as contagious as waves in the ocean, and songs as beautiful as the wind. As Lux strolled down the beach, the monarch basked in the gleeful atmosphere. The hope that the barrier would remain down long enough to allow for a few more bonfires was strong within her; and as usual, with her heads in the clouds, she was surprised when she was brought back to reality by the fact that everything was not perfect.

She hurried in the direction of the screams. The sight of a human hoovering over the water, with fins just breaking the surface, was, unfortunately, not a first. She knew the culprit before she saw him ― “Nimbus!” Then, a nervous laughter followed as she summoned the human back to land. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Floating is just something we sky sprites do for fun here, and... Sometimes Nimbus forgets that not everyone is as daring as he is. Have you had a drink yet? It will help calm you down. Tell Charlie that Lux sent you.” She ushered the human in the right direction, then turned to face her fellow sprite. 

“Nimbus,” she cooed, her anger hidden under a sickeningly sweet smile and a thick cloud of passive-aggressiveness. “I know it’s been a few years, but we have talked about this before, haven’t we?” She quirked a brow expectantly. “I thought we all agreed that I should talk to the humans tonight, and you would be in charge of choosing the colors for the fireworks. It’s a very important task, you know. With the bonfire getting bigger, it’s important that people have something pretty to look at.”