LES RUCHERS

Ignacio Mendoza Laurent Twenty-seven Beekeeper 𓆤 Pixie Le Nectar des Dieux

[nyraxodeyer]

"Express freely, please, it's quiet alright. People are scared of big waves," she said, laughing herself. She considered what he said with a thoughtful hum, "I have seen chaos in order...perhaps not in the matter of bees. But yes, I do get it."

Nyra listened quietly, allowing Ignacio to finish without interruption. The waves filled the brief silence that followed, rolling in and retreating along the shore. "I know," she said at last. There was no frustration in her voice, only a quiet understanding. "You do not need to explain yourself further. I may not agree with every conclusion you reach, which I hope you don't take to heart, it's a civic duty and responsibility of mine, but I would never ask you to abandon your conscience in order to satisfy me or anyone. We all have to live with our choices. That much, I understand." A smile touched her lips. "I do know you to be capable. I have seen you fight," she said. "It will not be any time soon that I will forget what we had to face at the music festival. Yes, I do hope for that day." The conversation felt settled then, Nyra didn't want to pull at a thread that hadn't unravelled and speak on events that had added weight to her thoughts. "Thank you. Not foolish is extremely appreciated. Take care of yourself," she added after a moment. "That is all I ask."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio gave a gentle shrug of his shoulders. "I am not afraid of waves, non. I am simply not a siren." He brought up two fingers, as though to indicate something very, very small. "Chaos in order. The Varroa Mite. Easily introduced but possible to remedy with work and determination. All things are the matter of bees." He smiled brightly.

"No group agrees all the time. That is okay. But we all move toward the same objective, yes?" He hummed softly. "And yet, I am a pacifist. It is shame that we must know how for more than sport. The day shall come. For now, we defend our own." He put a hand on his heart. "I promise. Truthfully. I know no other kind."

END?

[rivkahsreadingrainbow]

"It is, yes." Rivkah said this as a simple fact, like that the sun is yellow and the sky is blue. "I know him from here. I introduced myself rather quickly. I like to make it my business to know the local bookstore owners, considering I run the libraries in town." This, too, was stated as a fact, objectively, not subjective. She smiled over at the man, giving a tip of her head. "I understand that very well. How I envy the fae that lived through the years that way." She nodded along in agreement. "All very good choices. I can't say I enjoy those, either. It fees much more like poetry simply made to sell and make money, instead of the true art form. What other languages do you speak, then? I might have some further recommendations."

Rivkah smiled, genuinely. "As you should be. She's a good one to be acquainted with. One of my favorite, really." She hummed, high in the back of her throat. "De rien," she nodded, before holding her hand out. "I'm Rivkah, by the way. Whom do I have the pleasure of discussing poetry with?"

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio smiled. "Oh, oui. I do not have a card for the libraries. When I come to Lunar Cove, I think I make short stay. But now I have a business and a home and many bees to tend. I should borrow more books. I do, still, borrow them, you understand? I trade them with others. Books and records and other things." He nodded sharply, as though he had, in that moment, painted a watercolor of one of the very foundations of his being. "We live through them, but not always as ourselves. Our many lives are not our own. Please do not misunderstand me. I am grateful I have many opportunities, chances to grow better and better. However...perhaps I like being myself." He trailed off, pondering but not quite pensive. "Money is not bad. I would like to have enough of it. But how many artists must not have the choice, and so we do not hear their words. Our collective soul is constructed by the wealthiest, and, I fear, sometimes tainted all the same." He sighed, cocking his head to one side, before offering another smile. "French. Spanish. Some German. I would like to learn more. Daniel is meant to teach me Arabic. Do you know Dhruv? Dhruv teaches me made-up words in English."

For a moment, Ignacio flipped the poetry book around in his hands before tucking it under his arm to take hers. "Ignacio Mendoza. Enchanté. Do you know Sara Teasdale? She is one of my very favorite. To speak of truth, so powerfully, so simply. That is as all things should be."

[taliayildiz]

#open𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 ›› location: on a sidewalk somewhere with bushes of course tagging: @lunarcovestarters

"They were right, the cat distribution center is real!" A disturbance had come from the bushes while on her walk. Instead of making the reasonable decision and keep walking, Talia had decided to investigate the rustling. Worst-case scenario, it was a raccoon, and she had to go get a rabies shot. However, it turned out to be the best case possible because in the bush, it was a small kitten. She held the tiny creature to the person walking with her, eyes wide and filled with awe. "I've been chosen. I'm now a mother. I love them so much." Her voice was going up a few octaves as she talked to the kitten. "Unless you want to be co-parents," she added quickly, though she didn't really want to be. Talia was just being nice. "They need a name and probably a bath. Just to be safe."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio allowed an expression of perplexed wonder to play across his face. He offered a smile as he leaned in close to examine the little feline. "There is a center which distributes cats? It is an adoption center?" He reached out a hand to gently pet the cat's head. "A charming one. I am already father to one Jean-Claude. He is rather a strapping young cat, although he is a terror to birds, you understand?" He sighed. "Perhaps they can have a play-meeting?"

[danielrileys]

"I believe you would still be quite poetic. Being well-read is just a plus in all of this. There's an ... elegance with how you string words together. It's beautiful." His gaze softened at Ignacio's words. He liked how insightful the Fae was. Daniel felt like he had to apologize for everything. He carried guilt that wasn't his to bear. "For my own embarrassment? When you put it like that ... I guess there isn't anything wrong with feeling flustered or just feeling in general. So many of us get in our heads or worry about showing too much of ourselves that we forget we're human. We're alive, we're supposed to feel everything and anything. You find my blushing charming?"

Daniel grinned easily. Any worries that he had rolled off his back like water. Which was an odd state to be in, given Daniel naturally settled into a place of anxiety. He was always waiting for the metaphorical shoe, but it hadn't come this time. "Okay, I'm glad. It's the last thing I would want to do. Humans have been writing about us for centuries, haven't they?" He looked to where the Shakespeare books were put away, then back at Ignacio. "But sometimes, I would assume when the mood strikes? Being a giant is very uncomfortable. Not a lot of space to move. I'm happy to be normal-sized again. You said you can only tell the truth. What other enhancements do you have?" Daniel laughed. "Oh, yes, he's a tiny green person. His name is actually Grogu; they just call him Baby Yoda because, well, he looks like the baby version of Yoda. It's, uh, it's a Star Wars thing. If you'd like, we can watch the show he's from." He took a breath, realizing he was rambling now. "If you don't mind nerdy endeavors, that is."

The blush on his cheeks only deepened. A bright cherry shade stained his skin, but Daniel refused to apologize for it this time. Instead, he kept his bright smile and nodded, his face burning. "I think I should also extend a thank you to him. I never imagined taking a chance on a lock and key event could lead me to someone so ... incredible. Well, I hope you like the color red. You'll be seeing it often."

"Oh yes, I do. When I was in the woods, I spent a lot of time tinkering. I'm a secret handyman when I'm not a bookstore owner. It would be my honor to visit. You painted such a vibrant picture when you spoke of your bees and greenhouse. I've wanted to see it ever since. Yes, we must make better days. Every day can be a better one if we try." For a moment, he considered dropping their hands. Daniel got inside his head, as he usually did, and began overthinking the situation. Instead of listening to his anxieties, he listened to his gut. His hand remained wrapped around Ignacio's even as they stood before the books. "Correct. Fascinating, what other books did he have? You know, I didn't know that. I might have to do some research now."

The vampire paused for a moment. "Well, it captures the quiet, haunting sorrow of emotional detachment. To me, it means that the weight of a relationship drifting apart often feels heavier and more painful than a sudden, dramatic end. It's more heartbreaking to watch something you love fade before your very eyes. The end is inevitable, you feel it, and all you can do is watch."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio laughed, ducking his head in what was perhaps a genuine display of bashfulness, the very sort of display he had been applauding in the other. "Ah...Daniel, English is my third language. It comes to me as it does because I learned it by reading, oui. You are quite kind. I hope I am as elegant in French. Come now. Tell me of beauty in Arabic." He smiled at him, cocking his head to one side as he examined his features. "'Human' is a difficult word, do you find? But it is what we are, even though we are not. We are three parts, us all. The mind, the body, the spirit. Feed one with knowledge, one with food...why not one with feeling, hm?" Ignacio laughed again at that. "It is very charming, oui. It is...eh, all the more charming that you find it surprising, you understand? A consistent curiosity of this world is how often handsome men do not know they are handsome." He tut-tutted with his tongue.

"Yes. We poor entities of the wilds, unbound by fastenings like morality or civility. Mon Dieu. Cursed to carry all the shortcomings that do not belong to us. How soon we all forget we ran those wilds together at one time." He hummed. "Do you have a favorite vampire tale? One that does not...eh, upset you?" This question came with genuine curiosity; the Fae dotted written history, of course, in many forms, although much felt exaggerated. Ignacio shrugged his shoulders at that, though, a smirk settling on his lips. "I am often much too busy to find mood for mischief. The bees do not idle. Should I?" This seemed to be teasing. "I am sometimes dull. I enjoy a glass of wine and a record after a long day. I enjoy sitting with my cat. He answers to Jean-Claude. I enjoy working with my hands. Are these things very...eh, what is the word? Riveting?"

Ignacio hummed, giving him a look up and down. "A good stature it is. But...ah! You have seen my wings. I can make illusions. I can learn skills by mimicry. I can become invisible. I can share my emotions with others. Some people find that unsettling, you understand? They will not even touch a pixie." He looked down at their clasped hands. "I promise I do not tamper, and I do not share without asking. For now, I will simply tell you. Right now, I am quite content. Somewhat...a small nervous perhaps. Do I hide it well?" He smiled.

"Ah, okay, okay. Yes. I do know Star Wars. I did not know there was a baby. But I do not have a television. I must have missed it, yes?" Ignacio laughed. "Do you like this show? I think you are man of taste. I would enjoy to see it." His eyes sparkled. "Oh...merci. Merci. I am incredible? Enchanté. So. You and I will be seeing one another often then? I would like that very much. You are...refreshingly sincere, Mon Capitaine."

These revelations seemed to fascinate Ignacio, and he perked up as Daniel shared them. "Yes. Yes. You had mentioned. You...eh, you craft, oui? Tinker. I would like to see. This weekend. Will you visit? I can show you the day's work, and...I know we do eat different foods, but if you have any taste for honey and fruit and cheese, I am good at pairing." He hummed, nudging Daniel gently with his shoulder. "Le Chat chapeauté. Non. I was too young to have read Doña Perfecta when I did. My soul is old. I've lived many lives. Literally, you understand? Such are the Fae. And you...? What was life before Lunar Cove?"

Ignacio listened in attentive silence. "T.S. Elliot. 'This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.' Hmm. I can understand, oui. But...I do not weep for winter. Every season has its time. The sun sets. It does rise again. We are resilient."

[rivkahsreadingrainbow]

"Oh, you know Daniel, then?" Rivkah tutted, glancing over at the younger gentleman. Her eyes dropped to the tome he held up and she preened a little. "I enjoy all types of poetry, yes. Are you looking for a specific kind? Epics, perhaps? Sonnets, haikus? Classical? Modern? Antiquity?" She reached out to tap the cover of the book he held up, giving what could be interpreted as a knowing smirk. "Romantic modernism, perhaps?" A smile curls further onto her lips. "Poetry is one of the oldest forms of prose. It's certainly one of my favorite."

Rivkah pondered on it for a moment, before ushering for the man to follow her. She led him over to the poetry section, skimmed a few titles quickly, before plucking one from the shelf. It was Felicity by Mary Oliver, an all time favorite of hers. "I think you might like this one."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio smiled. "It is his store, yes? Daniel is here often, I believe. Do you know him from here? I did not meet him here. I met him at Joe's Pizza." This all came matter-of-factly, as though he were articulating simple truths. "I do enjoy all kinds, and I am very much open to...new discoveries, you understand? And old. I have read many epics. And I believe I must have lived antiquity, being as we Fae are, oui." He hummed. "Literally and otherwise. Much study of Latin...il était une fois. Aeneas saddens me. I weep for Creusa and Dido." He trailed off. "Elytis is an interesting person. Well-traveled. I came upon him in Spanish as a child, but he is translated widely. I enjoy most poetry but perhaps not...the small quaint verses they sell on posters. Rhymes about coffee. Do you know what I am saying?" He hummed.

Following along behind her, though, Ignacio smiled. "Mary Oliver and I are well-acquainted. 'You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.' Apropos for life in Lunar Cove. I shall explore Felicity to see what it reveals. Merci."

[waywardesouls]

OPEN STARTER: @lunarcovestarters

OPTION A location: Yellow Submarine

On breaks from work, Zuri loved to walk around the aquarium, visiting her favorite exhibits and sea creatures. A cuttlefish, nearly fully blended with the sand and rocks around it, lived in the massive tank before her, and was one of her favorites to visit. To the other person standing beside her, she offered, “Did you know cuttlefish are actually colorblind? It's kinda crazy, because they can exactly color match their surroundings to blend in. Kinda like what people think chameleons do, but cooler.”

OPTION B location: Happy Harvest Farmer's Market

Stevie enjoyed farmer's markets, and needed to stock up on produce and other essentials before heading picking up Rhiannon up from school. The school year was winding down and with summer about to start, Stevie was anxious to find a more permanent living situation for her and her daughter that didn't end in Motel. With those thoughts momentarily on the backburner, she passed a stand specifically for different flavored honeys. “Huh. Eucalyptus honey... Interesting, but not sure how my eleven year old will feel about that one.”

[crownprincexofbees]

OPTION B

"Eucalyptus honey is...eh, it is cooling, you understand? Menthol. Almost medicinal. It is a robust, woody flavor, only mildly sweet. Suitable for teas, dark meats, and grilled fruit. Or strong cheeses that it would not overpower." Ignacio gave a hum, looking up from his table to offer a smile. After making a note on his clipboard, he paused and extended a hand over his wares. "Citrus honey is more palatable to children, I often find. Bright and zesty. Suitable for yogurt, pastries, or pancakes. What do you wish to use it for?"

[gazingatmestarry-eyed]

For a moment Renzō made an attempt to count how many minutes before agreeing with Ignacio that it had been many minutes. More minutes than he could count, apparently. "Yeah, for sure. Too many." He added genuinely. Ignacio's company was enjoyable, even if the pixie spoke in rhymes he didn't always understand. The air of mystery was interesting to him. "Sure." Renzō agreed after eyeing the empty coffee shop for a moment. They'd been slow all morning, and he could always hop up if someone came in. "If in here's cool? Can't really leave, you know.."

There was a table, close to the counter and in eye sight of the front door that Renzō brought Ignacio's order, alongside his own, to. "Mary Oliver?" He didn't know who she was, but what she said felt relatable. Times had hardly been simple, yet this very moment proved times could still be. "More bees is good for everyone, right?" He wasn't sure what vampire Ignacio was talking about but nodded anyway. "Do you always see the positive?" It felt like a marvel. That someone could see good in the face of being intentionally spited.

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio laughed at that, a warm noise. "I imagined it would be here, Renzō, oui. I may be my own employer, but I do know the workings of work. Here is pleasant." He gave a playful click of his tongue. "Of course, I suppose I am Fae. If someone were to spirit you away, I would not be an impossible candidate, you understand?" A mischievous glimmer twinkled in his gaze. Ignacio pursed his lips. "I joke only. I do not wish to make you trouble."

Settling down at the table, then, he gave a short nod. "She was a poet. She won the Pulitzer Prize. I enjoy American poets. I think because they borrow from all the many traditions. And it was...it was good for me to learn complex English, yes?" He smiled. "Oui. More bees, more flowers, more bugs, more mice, more birds, and so on." He met the other's eye. "Not always. I try. I am prone to melancholy, but...one cannot live in anger. Sadness, regret...valid emotions. But we must use them to create the nicer ones we prefer. For now, I am happy to be here with you."

[nyraxodeyer]

"You are not wrong," she said. "The sea is chaos to many people, but perhaps that is why I find comfort in it. Chaos is rarely as frightening once you understand its nature. Like you with your bees." Her gaze drifted briefly toward the horizon before returning to him. "You speak as though this is a failure of sorts," Nyra said quietly. "By no means do I see this as a wound. I'm not injured, just inconvenienced. I can still shift into my siren form, my powers have not dulled. The injection and experiment was against my will, and I carry that side-effect rather strangely, but it hasn't incapacitated me."

When he admitted he would not write her name down, Nyra was silent for a moment, though there was no frustration in her face, just one of acceptance since she really couldn't force him. "I do not require dishonesty from you," she said after a beat. "Nor blind loyalty. But you must stop wishing suffering onto yourself in place of others. That is not kindness. Sure, sacrifice is seen as a noble thing but for our kind self-preservation is a vital thing. Many thing would see to our downfall, do not include your own name to it. You belong to this Court as much as anyone else within it. Protecting you and others is not some unfortunate consequence of leadership, Ignacio. It is the reason for it."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio found a smile, a brighter expression that flickered only briefly across his face. He brought up an almost apologetic hand as though to politely cover his mouth. "Ah, but bees are the opposite of chaos. Bees are order perfected, yes? Each creature, each part, each doing proper duty. Sensible. Divine. Not to say the ocean is not. You understand?" Ignacio placidly turned his gaze back to the sea. "Not a failure perhaps. But...an affront to your will. I am sorry it happened. I say this as someone who has come to this place because...things in which I have no choice. A kerfuffle. It is not a pleasant place to find oneself. When we are trapped in circumstances that were done to us. That is all. One strives to rise above them. That is very well."

Ignacio cocked is head to one side. "It would be impossible to require. I am not capable of it," he replied softly. "Nor is my loyalty blind. I place it well. I wish for no one to suffer. I am certain you wish the same. But trust me. I will fight. I have done so many times. Until the day we no longer must. Which I believe will come." He nodded. "I will do nothing foolish. But I ask only for grace in that I am the one who must live with myself for all eternity, no matter which form I take. Please allow me to respect that man's actions."

[rivkahsreadingrainbow]

with: open @lunarcovestarters

Option A where: Lunar Cove Public Library

"It's the alphabet, Bartholomew," Rivkah said with an exasperated sigh. "Not rocket science." She plucked the book he'd unceremoniously shoved onto the shelf, placing Fitzgerald, F. Scott between von Volkman, Richard and Vonnegut, Kurt. If she had her way, they wouldn't be in the same section, but the public library was organized differently to her own personal library, and even the one at the university. She pursed her lips. "I know you know your alphabet." The boy, sheepish, looked up at her and shrugged. He probably wanted to be here much less so than she wanted him here, sorting her shelves incorrectly, but the boy had was here for community service, so it wasn't as if she could send him away.

"Sorry about that, Misses R," Bartholomew very thoughtfully and melodramatically said. Rivkah just barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

"It's Miss," she corrected with a hiss, "and no you're not. Don't lie to me." She leaned down close. "I see right through you, Barry. Now put the books away properly or I'll make you redo the entire section."

She wasn't a cold person, per say, but she knew the type of kid Bartholomew was-- she'd been just like him, at one point-- and she knew a gentle hand was only something the troubled teen would take advantage of. So, tough love it was.

The sharp, shrill ding! of the front desk bell pulled her away from her post, towering over the teen slumped on the floor. Unfurling her arms, she headed towards the front. "Hello," she greeted, putting back on her easy, relaxed smile, "how can I help you today?"

---

Option B

where: New Leaf Bookstore

As Rivkah dragged her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf, she couldn't help but pluck out each one out of place and put them back in where they belonged, if it was close by. Perhaps she just couldn't help it. Every now and then, she'd pull one out and add it to the growing stack in her own arms-- some new titles, some old, some she already owned twice over. It didn't really matter to her what genre or author or section, they all went in the pile if they caught her eye. She had at least four walls filled top to bottom with shelves of books, and while some might call it hoarding, she liked to think of it as an abundance. A collection, though she kept the actual rare and unique tomes in a separate room, filled with only two walls of shelves.

Her finger paused on an old, threadbare spine and tapped against it before tugging it out. Next to her, she noticed someone perusing the shelves as well, but when she noticed that they had not pulled out a single book yet, she leaned over and whispered (because bookstores were library adjacent, of course), "Need any recommendations? Or are we just window shopping today?"

[crownprincexofbees]

Option B

"Hm? Oh. Merci. I was...waiting for Daniel. I needed to discuss this with him." Ignacio, who seemed to have been startled out of a bit of a daze, staring at the shelf and mulling over many things, offered a smile. He held up a book of poetry by Odysseas Elytis, a tome with which he had left the last time he was in the bookshop. "Do you enjoy poetry? I read it very much. Since the dawn of time, we have all pined for the same, do you find? Verse is unbound by the trappings of prose, but I enjoy prose as well." This observation came matter-of-factly, but still, for him, poetry resonated in a primal way beyond space and place.

He hummed, rolling his shoulders, and craning his head from side to side as if to take in every book which lined the shelves. "What do you recommend for springtime? For new beginnings. For renewal? We as humans, or adjacent, oui...we can afford to use our hours on pastoral folly. Bees cannot. Hard work does not end for prettier weather. Hmm." He trailed off, seemingly engaged in some sort of philosophical banter with himself.

[danielrileys]

Daniel smiled as Ignacio's infectious laughter fluttered through the air. It made his insides feel sweet and syrupy, like the honey that sat before him. He could now feel his ears warming up as he put the correlation together. "That person at the masquerade was correct. You are very poetic. I, uhm, I don't mind that. Does it?" Daniel asked, touching his cheek. If he were any more obvious, he swore he would have turned into a tomato right then and there. "I suppose this is where I warn you, I get flustered quite easily."

"Daniel and Ignacio sounds perfect to me. It was. I'm glad it's over. I'm fine with keeping my mask away for a while." At the realization of his words, his eyes widened with an apologetic look. "Oh, I know it is! I have nothing against Fae food. I like Fae food very much. I just didn't like being a giant ... or naked ... or squishing Baby Yoda. I'm sure it's going to be the most magical honey I have ever eaten in my life. I'm just - rambling, aren't I?" He let out a nervous laugh. "I won't hold it against you. I was going to take you on a second date regardless. If that's something you'd like."

His features softened as he nodded. "Yes, very pleasant. I'm glad that the bees are well. If you need help patching anything up, I'm happy to offer my services. It never gets easier anytime something happens. All we can do is be there for one another and hope for a better day." Daniel felt his heart leap in his chest as Ignacio offered his hand. He borrowed the bravery of someone who could be nicknamed Capitaine and grabbed Ignacio's hand to lead him around. "Well, I think the poetry section might be the best place to start." Daniel wandered to the section, his hands gliding over the books until he landed on one to pull out. He opened the book to the first page he found and read. "No, it isn't death we will confront. But the tiniest autumnal raindrop. An obscure feeling the smell of wet earth in our souls that grow continually farther apart."

[crownprincexofbees]

"Ah, am I poetic myself, or am I simply well-read in others who are poetic? Mimicry is a hallmark of my species," Ignacio replied teasingly, lips spreading into something of a sideways smirk. "Oui, mon Capitaine. But ach! Why to warn? Many people, yes, yes, perhaps men especially, Mon Dieu...they do not allow themselves to feel, you understand? Sentimental, or afraid, or flustered. All these things are what create our living experience. Please do not apologize. I find it sincere. And charming, oui."

Ignacio sighed softly. "We have many troubles in Lunar Cove. We cannot forget them, but I suppose we must try to find our own way between them," he trailed off, but after a beat, he broke into a laugh. He brought up a hand to give the other's shoulder a squeeze. "Daniel, Daniel...you do not insult me, I promise. Some Fae are tricksters. What all have humans written of Robin Goodfellow, hm?" He gestured at the books around them. "I am not often a trickster. I would not like to be giant either, non. I have my enchantments, oui, but...they do not tend toward mischief, you understand?" He hummed. "You are not rambling. But to tell you the truth, I do not know what a 'Baby Yoda' is. It is a small green person?" Ignacio grinned, an easy expression.

"I would like that very much, beau gosse. I must thank Pizza Joe, oui. I have a second date with a handsome, honest man, one with a noble jawline, a jawline I now find I can color red rather easily. Sometimes my luck does serve well."

He gave a cheekily innocent roll of his eyes, despite his earlier assertions that he was above mischief. "That is kind. Do you know...do you know tools well? You must come visit. I will show you the boxes and the greenhouse and the barn. I do agree, except for the one. Hope is...it is the roots, yes, but we must make a better day, yes?" Ignacio seemed pleased when Daniel took his hand, allowing himself to be led and staying close even when they stopped at the shelf. He craned his neck upward to read over the other's shoulder. "Elytis, no? In my father's library. Translated into Spanish. Do you know the poet lived in Paris for a time? Studied at La Sorbonne. What does it mean to you?"

[danielrileys]

Daniel considered himself lucky this time around. He wasn't suffering any life-threatening werewolf bites; however, his ego was slightly bruised. It could have been worse. He often reminded himself of that when he spiraled too deeply into shame, but it could also have been better. As a natural introvert, being the center of attention before the chaos ensued was one of Daniel's worst nightmares. It's one of the reasons he had stayed closed to his shop for the past few days. If he could avoid being reminded that he was a pirate lacking clothes, then he'd be happy.

The bell to the front door rang, and Daniel dropped the books he had been organizing. His usual customer service greeting lodged in his throat when he saw Ignacio at the front counter. Instead, he blushed slightly at the new mon Capitaine nickname. "Hello, great Pan. It's nice to see you." His eyes immediately fell onto the two honey jars before him. His smile grew a little more. "Oh, uh, it's okay. The chances you take with magical food. It was .. a lot, but I am coping the best I can. I think my embarrassment has finally subsided. Thank you for dropping in to check on me. I appreciate it more than you know. I have no doubt honey made from the happiest bees will brighten my spirits." He carefully turned one of the jars around to get a better look at the honey. "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. You're full of many surprises, Ignacio. How are you holding up?"

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio laughed at that, a warm, hearty noise. He wrinkled up his nose and shook his head back and forth. With that, then, he lapsed into teasing, lilting verse, drolly, as if performing a bit. "'And the lizards below in the grass, were as silent as ever old Tmolus was, listening to my sweet pipings.' I make no promise I will never again call you Capitaine. It makes you a rather charming shade of red." He made no effort at being anything less than brazen.

"But for now, perhaps we can be Daniel and Ignacio, hm? It was a difficult night. Masks can fall away until the mood is more festive to don them." Ignacio hummed softly, expression growing somewhat pensive. "I do promise that this honey is...simply honey. No tricks. Magical, oui, but...figurative, you understand?" Ignacio smiled. "Good. Good. I am glad. I am also sorry I was unable to find...the small bat. I did try. I hope you will not hold it against me too strongly."

Ignacio cocked his head to one side. "Pleasant surprises, though, yes? I am...stalwart. The bees are well. Difficult times do not mean boxes need no repairing or plants need no watering. Business is proper, but we must, I suppose, also allow moments for grief. I grieve for the injured." He trailed off. "Come. Give me the tour. Show me the books I must read." Ignacio held out a hand as if for Daniel to take to lead him along.

[nyraxodeyer]

"You're fine, I simply wasn't paying much attention," Nyra replied, offering him a small smile. "The sea has always been a rather predictable place to find me. In some ways, it feels easier here than at the hotel." Her gaze drifted briefly toward the water. Her altered form required adjustments to be made to accommodate. They promised comfort but she wasn't entirely certain comfort could truly be found while existing in a state where she could never seem to fully be dry.

"You were not wrong to struggle with it," she said, "A choice was still made, whether you wished to make one or not. Refusing entirely was never truly an option in those circumstances." Her brows furrowed slightly then at what he continued to say. "You are fae, Ignacio. I am your Queen. Protecting our kind is the responsibility I accepted. I do not hold this against you, there is no need for forgiveness, if anything, should there ever be a next time, which I sincerely hope there will not, I ask you to write my name again without hesitation or guilt for doing so, understand? I'd rather it be me."

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio hummed. "And yet, for many, the sea is...there is no prediction, you understand? It is a chaos. It is subject only to its own whims. I do sympathize. There are many who would find standing among the bees frightening. I think bare before nature is the proper place to stand." He hummed, breathing in the salty air and offering something of a succinct shrug.

"Yes. One cannot rise above when one is already weighed down. Sacrifice is nobler. Silence will not stop a greater evil," he mused distantly before glancing up to meet her eye. "I am still sorry you were wounded. My hands are muddied. And your wound has not protected any of us. You do not deserve it." He shook his head. "I am unable to lie, Nyra. I will not write your name down. You may write your own, and perhaps we will balance one another, yes?" He hummed. "I am grateful for the kindness this place has shown me, this Court. It had made them target you. I wish they had targeted me."

[thxprophecy]

josie hadn’t meant to get distracted the second she walked in, but the soft golden glow of the jars caught her eye before anything else. she drifted closer almost instinctively, fingers hovering near one of them like she might absorb the sweetness just by proximity. “oh!” her voice came out quieter than intended, a small, almost sheepish smile tugging at her lips. “you had me at orange blossom honey, i’m not gonna lie.” she glanced up at him then, a little more grounded, though her attention kept flickering back to the display. she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, shifting her weight as she remembered why she’d actually come in. “i’m... uh, I teach in town,” she added, gesturing vaguely like that explained everything. “i was thinking about bringing my class somewhere different for a field trip, something hands-on, you know? but now i’m kind of thinking they might just watch me buy out your entire stock.” a soft laugh slipped out, a hint of something warmer than she’d felt in days.

[crownprincexofbees]

Ignacio smiled as he watched her browse his wares, the sort of satiated expression he reserved for the task of observing other enjoy his handiwork. "Well, I myself am...eh, incapable to lie, and so...I promise it is very good orange blossom honey. And devoid of the trickery one would perhaps expect when accepting food from a pixie, you understand?" He nodded very seriously. This assertion was a newer sales tactic, one devised after genuine Fae Food had caused quite a kerfuffle at the recent masquerade.

Ignacio's brow shot up. "The children, do they wish to learn about the bees? I know very much about bees." He hummed. "I fear the excursion may fare better...hands-off, however. Stingers, you understand? The hives do not wish to use them, but, they do not enjoy noise or jostling. But! Orange blossoms require citrus plants, which require a greenhouse. It is an ecosystem of its own. Would the children enjoy a greenhouse?"

[crownprincexofbees]

Closed starter for @thxprophecy Location: Le Nectar des Dieux, Barn Shop

"Bonjour." The gentle promise of summer's approach offered longer hours of daylight, filtering now through the windows, and while the steady flow of shoppers had waned by this hour, Ignacio was busying himself with tidying. Idle hands were dire things, he had learned long ago, and by keeping busy, not unlike a bee, he did not need to linger on the gloomier clouds gathering over Lunar Cove. Looking up with his broom in-hand when he heard the little bell over the door jingle, the pixie offered a smile. "May I help you find something? It is the season for orange blossom honey.

[gazingatmestarry-eyed]

Of all the faces that appeared in the Daily Drip, Renzō was more glad to see Ignacio's than most. The fae like a little ray of sunshine slipping into to a certain drawn room after a long, dark night. "Hey man. It's been a minute." It was a small town, but everyone had their own lives. He'd wondered what Ignacio had been up to since their run in at the christmas market over some holly and mistletoe. "You got it bud. For here or togo?" While he made the drink he continued on with their small talk. "As well as I can be." He admitted. While he walked away unscathed from the town's most recent fiasco, a few people the witch loved very much could not say the same. "You? And the bees?"

[crownprincexofbees]

"It has been many minutes, Renzō, yes?" This reply was neither quite a correction nor an elaboration, perhaps instead a literal misunderstanding of proper idiomatic use. Ignacio smiled, though, an expression that, nevertheless, displayed more calm than he perhaps felt. "Would you like company?" He cocked is head to one side. "I have finished my morning chores. I was planning to recline in the gazebo and read and watch the people." He began fishing in his bag for a small book of poems. "Mary Oliver. She is suitable for comfort in times such as these. 'Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on.'" He sighed. "The bees are well. Such is the season for them. That vampire...he raises bees now as though to spite me, I believe. But that only allows more bees, which allows more flowers and so on. The world is abundance."

[nyraxodeyer]

for: @lunarcovestarters - open! time & location: post-event, beach

The water met her slowly as Nyra stood at the edge of the shoreline, watching the tide move in its quiet, endless rhythm. It was familiar and yet something about it now felt...off. Not the ebb and flow per say, but her. It should have taken only a drop like it always did, but her legs remained unchanged. She was damp too, hair clinging to her neck and shoulders, as though she had already taken a dip under the surface despite never stepping in. Another wave rolled in, water brshing her feet, catching the hem of her dress. Still nothing. No shift, no tail, no shimmering scales, just skin kissed by the surf.

Her thoughts turned, unbidden, to days ago, the prick of a needle, Prometheus, the unmistakable sense of something being altered. It had felt it had only been her mind then, then slowly it dawned that everything had changed.

Nyra exhaled slowly, gaze lingering on the horizon before shifting as she became aware of someone nearby. "I didn't realise you were there... Lost my thoughts for a bit."

[crownprincexofbees]

"I am sorry. I did not mean to...eh, sneak." Ignacio offered a weak smile, readjusting the cloth bag hanging over his shoulder. It rattled a bit as he moved, revealing that he had perhaps been engaged in the dreadfully serious task of gathering seashells.

"I did not expect to see you here. I had gone to the Emerald Hotel, and you were not there. But I do suppose a beach is a natural place for sirens, yes." He nodded, his gaze drifting out to the water momentarily and to the horizon that lay beyond it.

"I would like to give you an apology. You were injured due to my inactivity, and in the future, I will vote for myself. I had wrongly presumed that one could defy evil by refusing to participate in it, but that is not true, you understand? Inaction is as bad as poor action." He hummed. "I hope you will find place to forgive me, and if there is anything I can do for the good of the Court, I am, as always, your humble helper."

[gazingatmestarry-eyed]

open @lunarcovestarters (capping at 3 each, DM me if full)

Charlie in Sunny Harbor. (0/3)

Slowly, the sun began to peak over the water's horizon, illuminating a figure at the end of a dock. Her golden hair began to glow in the morning's light. She kept her eyes down on the water, and her long, pink tail that swung in the air above it. It wouldn't be long until she dried and could return home, after a sleepless night turned into a thought-filled swim, but the creak of a board somewhere behind her spooked the siren back into the water with a splash that sprayed the dock.

Renzō in Downtown. (0/3)

It was the morning after the masquerade ball. Renzō had the opening shift at the Daily Drip. The morning rush was slower than usual. He imagined most people were enjoying their time in bed after the disaster at Moore manor the night before. His mind mulled it over as the witch sipped espresso from a cup in the quiet coffee shop. The ding of the door's bell, announcing someone's arrival, drew Renzō from his thoughts. "Morning." He greeted before ever seeing who had entered. "What can I get started for you?"

[crownprincexofbees]

The sensation dwelling now in Ignacio's gut was a strange one. There was gratitude, of course, gratitude that he had escaped the events of the night before relatively unscathed. But this notion carried barbs too, a heavy, dismal awareness that so many others had not. They pricked every corner of his psyche. "Bonjour," he said, managing the best smile he could as he pushed his way through the coffee shop's doors. It did not quite reach his eyes. "Coffee. Steamed milk, merci. Are you well, Renzō?"