"I'm not a hooligan, Fio. I'm a writer," Lou lamented, flourishing her journal yet again. "And I won't get hurt, I'm responsible. It isn't fair that you're in charge, you were born only a few hours before me!" Lou sighed, a pout making its way onto her face. "I'll be careful, I promise. And I'll stay out of the business of the other families. Emi's gonna take forever to find, and I don't wanna wait that long!"
"I'm the oldest, and the most responsible, Lou." Fio fired back, shaking his head at Lou. "We'll find Emi, and then be on our way." he stretched, looking around the area. "Spirits, where is that fucker?" he mumbled, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head a little bit.
Serafine was up in her room getting ready for the festival, sitting at her dressing table while she wove several colourful silk strands into her wildly wavy, ashen hair. A gentle smile graced her lips when she reminisced through memories of past Mardi Gras she had attended; she remembered the brilliantly bold colours and laughter from everyone who gathered. It was a joyous time when everyone came together, despite the differences between each and every citizen.
This was going to be the first one she had attended since she lost her sight 5 years ago. Despite being the eldest, despite the fact she was supposed to set an example, it had really scared her when she lost her sight and she had somewhat convinced herself that she wouldn't be able to enjoy the festivals the same way. Well this year she wanted to prove her insecurities wrong.
With the strands finished, she ran her fingertips over the array of jewelry laid out on the desk. Serafine was already adorned in several beautiful pieces of jewelry, but there was never any harm in making an effort, especially for an ocassion such as the Mardi Gras.
She selected a sapphire ring and slid it onto the middle finger on her right hand—it complimented her other rings nicely. After attaching two gold cuffs to each wrist she deemed it was about time to be heading to the festival.
She picked herself up from her dressing table and made her way out into the hallway, subtly keeping one hand to the wall while listening to the echo of her court shoes on the tiles. One of the tips her mother had given her to ensure she could still move freely without bumping into things often, was to listen to the sound around her. Thanks to a lot of time practicing, Serafine was now able to confidently locate every room in the house, and it was a rule in the house to keep everything neat and tidy to avoid potentially tripping over something.
Now came the task of locating her younger siblings, Daus and Delphi. No doubt, Daus was going to be reluctant about attending the festival and potentially find a way of getting out of it, while Delphi would be smoking somewhere. At least, this is what Serafine personally thought they would be doing, so when she heard voices coming leading away from the family altar she found herself pleasantly surprised. The smell of cannabis was also a dead give-away that Delphi was nearby.
"I trust the two of you are ready to go?" she asked, approaching her siblings with a warm smile.
(So uh– lately I've been super into making aesthetic boards for my characters, so…I may have made one for Fio. I'll give y'all the link if you wanna look at it, but obviously you don't have to lmao. Fio)
(Sorry im so late-)
Narhelliot walked thrugh the streets. He looked up to the blue sky. Him and his older brother, Sabastian were taking a stroll. Narthelliot, beeing the middle child, was childish, but he knew when to be sirius. Narthelliot's hair was a big mess. He reaped a soul last night, and then got distracted. He only got three hours of sleep. He almost fell asleep while walking. Lucky for him Sabastion "woke" him up by saying "Wake up! Were here!" Narthelliots eyes shot open. He looked around and rolled his eyes. "Brother, please stop that." Narthelliot said, pushing Sabastion. "Alright little brother." Sabastion laughed, "But stay awake!" He said, now having a stright face. Narthelliot shrugged. "Alright, but you try staying up all night!" Both Sabastion and Narthelliot laughed. They always got along. Well…Not always.
(Hope it's good-)
Emilio quietly snuck up behind Fio, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "I'm right here." He stepped away and laughed, finishing his movement with a dramatic spin. "So, are we going to the festival or not? This is my first time, didn't you know? I assume Lou want to go find some people to write about, oh Lou, by the way, I got Camilia to agree to sit for a while and tell you about her life."
Fio yelped, spinning around to face Emi. "You bastard!" he exclaimed, laughing a little bit. "What the hell!" he looked at Emi and shook his head a little bit. "Of course we're going to the festival. And I know you two have never been. I went with Ari last, last year." Ari. The ex. He let out a breath. "You guys will have fun. Let's go."
Emilio let out another round of laughter, bending over. "Fee, you suck at paying attention to your surroundings. You're gonna get mugged so easily." He said with a completely straight face, but with the sparkle of tease in his eyes. "Hey, someone had to keep the spirits company. They get sad that they miss out." Emilio shrugged
Narthelliot sighed. He frogot somthing. "Brother?" Sabastion said, "Isn't there a party of sorts?"
Narthelliot smiled, "Yes! Thats what i forgot!" Sabastion Smiled as well, "You're taking Garcia right?" Sabastion asked.
"Mhm. Lets get home to get her." Narthelliot said, turning around. "Sabastion followed, "Alright. I'll Be there soon…Just have to take care of somthing", Sabastion said.
" Alright brother, Just don't forget or mother will be furious." Narthelliot said, walking towered his home. Once he got there he went to Garcia. "Little sister. Lets go to the-" Narthelliot stopped for a second. What was the name..? He thought. "Whatever, come on! or we'll be late!"
Gracia got up and ran to her room. As she was getting ready he went to his balcony. He looked out. He heard a voice coming from inside the house, "Brother! Im ready!" Narthelliot smiled.
"Coming Garcia!" He said, walking to her. Sabastion walked in, Finally Narthelliot thought. "Brother! We'll be off! We'll meet at the- You know- 'the party of some sorts'" Narthelliet teased, walking out with Garci.
(Mosis, would you be able to put each spoken part on a new line just so we know who is actually talking?)
(Alright. Ill do that)
Alex made their way out of their nook and down to the main entrance. They stopped when they got in front of a mirror to check their hair finding it exactly as it should be before messing with the bangs so there were a few loose curls. They smiled happy with the, in their eyes, improvement made to their hair. Their shoes clicked as they walked down the stairs to meet up with Remi and Ester, or at least they hoped their older siblings hadn't left without them.
( @Icefire_has_no_motivation I saw the aesthetic board for Fio. It's nice.)
Ester switched her parasol from hand to hand looking about and around, and outside. Interested to see what this Mardi Gras would bring, Ester would have to say she was mildly excited to head down to the festival. Excited to see, like she’d been thinking before - all the activities. The music. Ester had never been a huge music girl - admittedly, it was one of her flaws that she struggled to play any sort of instrument - but that never said she couldn’t enjoy the traditional music that played during Mardi Gras. At least she could dance, Ester thought, satisfied.
Eyes turned as she heard someone else approaching, and she straightened her posture, keeping her parasol in one hand. “Alex,” she called out, greeting them. “Heading down to the festival too?” She brushed a hand gently over her hair. She had chosen not to adorn her bonnet, just for tonight at least. Well, there was one of the family members alas. She’d yet to see Remi, though.
"Ah yes," Alex nodded with a light smile approaching their elder sister. They straightened their posture as well as a reaction to seeing Ester straighten her own. They weren't looking forward to the large crowds and loud music, but they would bear it for a few hours. Maybe they could find somewhere that was selling books so they could buy a new one even though they already had a list waiting to be rest, "Since mother and father are making me go this year I figured I might as well go to the festival early so I can leave early as well."
Daus spun around to the familiar voice, a light smile adorning his soft features at the sight of his eldest sister. He and Serafine had always been quite close to one another, with calm, soft-spoken presences, and had drifted even closer as the eldest sibling lost her sight a few years ago. He had always been scared of losing his own eyesight himself, though Delphi was a lot closer to that fate than him. Not that she seemed to care, at least.
"Serafine!" He called out, hurrying towards the eldest girl. "I wish you could see what Delphi did to me. She got me all dressed up for Mardi Gras!" He added, fixing the dozens of golden bangles around his wrists. It was true, Deplhi had cleaned him up quite well. His usual neutral wardrobe was brightened by warm auburn colors, maroon scarves, brasses, and deep oranges that brought out the bright white tone of his loose curls. His white tattoos stood out more than usual against his coffee toned skin, along with the random splotches of vitiligo. He was practically screaming, Hey, look at me! I'm an Ardoine!
"He fixes up nicely," Delphi shrugged, taking a drag of her large cigar before blowing out near Seraphine. She barely acknowledged the eldest sibling, not wanting to cause too many problems before the eve of festivities. "Careful, might catch the attention of the dancers…or those necromancer boys." She added jokingly, elbowing Daus as he flushed, adding a light pink color to his cheeks. Thank goodness Seraphine couldn't see.
What was Delphi talking about? How was Daus involved with the necromancer family? While Serafine tried to remain as engaged with the rest of her family as possible, there was sure to be something she had missed. The thought alone was unsettling…
She didn't allow it to faze her as she gently ruffled the top of her brother's head, her fingers lingering for a moment just to appreciate the soft texture of his hair. "I don't doubt that for a second, he always was a beau garçon." While the woman had a smile on her lips, she couldn't help but feel pained; how she longed to be able to see the strong individual her brother was growing into.
"What do you think of me?" she asked, her warm smile becoming a little cheeky as she stepped back from her brother and gestured to her outfit.
Remi was staring out of his bedroom window, his hands delved deep into his trouser pockets. Why did he have to attend a meaningless event such as the festival? He attended them every year, couldn't he miss it just this once? He would much rather train than have to deal with the large crowds of people and all the shouting, that's an enjoyment which only fools could enjoy—in his opinion.
Not too far from the house, he could see two familiar figures of his sisters, they must have been heading to the festival, and for a split second he thought of joining them just to make sure they weren't touched by any undesirables.
"Tch. This is pointless."
The rest of his family were fools, enjoying such things as music and bright colours. Bright colours… He glanced down at his wrist, running his other hand over the soft material. The blue silk had been a gift from someone he had met a few years ago, though the memory was a little faded, and for some reason he couldn't bring himself to get rid of it. He wasn't a fan of colour, not in the slightest, but there was something almost comforting about the silk around his wrist.
A gentle breeze wafted through his window, ruffling his hair and filling his senses with the herbs and spices that were already being prepared at the festival. His stomach growled obnoxiously. Oh that's right, he hadn't left his room yet. Perhaps it was worth going to the festival for the sole purpose of food… And his sisters.
With a sharp sigh, he buttoned up his shirt, slipped on his sunglasses, and grabbed his coat that sat draped on the edge of his bed—pulling it on as he ran to catch up with Alex and Ester. The sunglasses never came off in public.
He caught up to the girls, though he didn't show any interest in wanting to talk to them.
"Trop belle," Daus grinned, trying to slip a little bit of french into his vocabulary as he failed to catch the way that Seraphine visibly tensed at the thought of the necromancers. He had never been very confident in his french, quite as much as Delphi was. "Careful, or you'll be catching the eye of everyone at Mardi Gras." He added cheekily, wrapping an arm around his sister's waist. Sadly, Seraphine wouldn't be able to enjoy the vivid colors of the festivities like he could, but he wanted her to have a good time at least.
"Well, let's hurry along then, shall we? I heard the Zoe boys are handing out plenty of free drinks and prizes tonight," Delphi hummed as she began to walk towards the exit of the family estate, fixing the small headscarf wrapped around her different colored braids. The three were quite a sight, deep colored skin with bright, ashy hair. Signature Ardoine's.
"Zoe boys?" Daus spoke up, head tilting to the side as he followed behind Delphi closely. He had heard of plenty of groups that his younger sister had been affiliated with in the past, but this was different.
"Just a group of Creole boys in town. They're cocky, but if you talk to them just right, you can get plenty of drinks out of them," Delphi explained, looking over her shoulder at Daus with a wink as she blew out a trail of smoke. "It'll be fun, trust me. Right, Seraphine?" She asked, finally acknowledging her eldest sister.
Serafine smiled shyly at Daus' comment. It wasn't her intention to attract any attention, though given she was an Ardoine she was going to receive it anyway. Adrenaline began to build up inside her as she realised she was doing it—she was going to the Mardi Gras again. What had it become in her absence? Was everything as lively as she remembered it to be?
She gently placed her hand on Daus' arm as they started moving out of the house. She needed to make sure that her siblings stayed somewhat close to her, and while she would be able to tell that from hearing, she didn't want to take any chances at a busy festival.
What was Delphi talking about? The Zoe Boys huh…
She brought her other hand to her chin, rubbing it gently while she thought about her own interactions with that particular group. "I can agree that they are a lively bunch, that being said, I do not completely trust them." the hand that touched Daus suddenly started shaking a little. She wasn't comfortable with either of her siblings, especially Daus, getting involved with the Zoe Boys. "They are, how do I put this, promiscuous."
"Psht, they're fine. Nothing I can't handle," Delphi waved Seraphine off, throwing her joint on the ground and crushing it under the heel of her sandals. Grandme was literally going to smite her the second she found that outside the family estate. Which was a pretty normal occurrence these days. "Besides, there's much worse than them at the festival. Devils, spirits, the families–"
Daus shot his sister a harsh glare, a look only reserved for Delphi's antics. Both knew exactly how Seraphine felt about the other families, especially the necromancers. Yes, it had been a long time ago, but the Ardoine's had lost a member due to a petty family feud. They still hadn't really recovered. Delphi rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut diligently, knowing that was not a line that had to be crossed tonight.
"Tell me, sister, what was Mardi Gras like when you were younger? I haven't been in quite some time," Daus asked softly, guiding Seraphine down the cobblestone path. He could already hear some faint music coming from the town square as the light from the setting sun dipped behind the buildings, leaving the dim evening and a faint glow of lanterns light and fires.
Serafine knew that Delphi just wanted to have a good time, that's something she herself had wanted at Delphi's age, but there was having fun and there was being careless. The necromancers weren't to be trusted, they were out of control and power-hungry, and they would stop at nothing to assert their dominance. Unfortunately, that had lead to the death of Serafine's older brother. Eliaj… She missed his warm smiles, the way he always knew what to do. That boy was her idol, her confidante, and her best friend. No—now wasn't the time to be thinking of him.
Thankfully Delphi didn't continue talking, and she had a feeling that was due to Daus, but that was only a gut feeling.
Her eyes widened slightly upon hearing Daus' question. "You ask that as if I am an old woman." the laugh that followed showed she didn't take any offence. "Let me see," she glanced up at the sky, inhaling the soft scent of spices. "The nobility and families of wealth had large horse-drawn displays where they could show themselves off the the townsfolk, I believe we had one at some point. The idea of it only being for those of wealth was thrown to the birds because the festival is deemed a time where everyone can come together and celebrate equally. Then there were the wonderful colours, so many colours, and dancing. The dancing was always my favourite part."
As they neared the festival, a wave of spices and alcohol washed over Serafine, sending a familiar shiver down her spine. She wondered just how much had changed in the last 5 years, and if people still celebrated the way they used to.
Lou cheered. "The festival, and I get another entry! Let's go! And Fio, be careful, somebody could sneak up on you." She started running towards the town, away from the LeTour family house, skipping a little bit here and there out of excitement.
Emilio grabbed Fio's arm and ran after their sister, shoving on one sleeve of an embroidered jacket while stilll running. "So, where to first? The food? The booze? I promised one of the Zoe Boys a kiss if they saved me my favorite drink."
"Food!" Lou cheered. "I could eat somethin'!" She slowed her pace, letting her brothers catch up to her. "I wanna buy a new scarf later, too!" Lou lifted her head, and breathed in, taking in the ever-increasing smell of food, drinks and flowers. "Let's go!"
"Sounds beautiful," Daus smiled softly at Serafine's description, wondering what it had been like for the families all those years ago. Especially with his brother around. He could barely remember what the older man looked like now, just his familiar scent and his loud steps in the hall's during prayer time. "Maybe you and I can dance then! I'm not very good, but it's worth a try."
"You'd break your neck if you tried to dance, petit loup," Delphi taunted as a soft chuckle left her lips, resulting in a scowl for Daus. Yes, the two had their little arguments almost all the time, but they were closer than almost anyone in the estate. Even if Delphi was a sarcastic salop.
After a few moments of the siblings' playful banter over dancing abilities and whatnot, the Ardoine's neared the festivities in the town square. Already, the three were only on the outskirts of the large crowd and the only thing Daus could register was how loud Mardi Gras was. He followed closely behind Delphi as she moved through the crowded cobblestone streets, making sure he still had an arm on Seraphine. If he thought this was loud for him, he could only imagine what the other woman was going through.
Though, Daus had to admit the parade was astonishing. The usual, drab town square was decorated with bright, auburn clothes, brightly lit tents for each of the shop vendors yelling for their latest drinks and gumbo recipes, old men stumbling drunkly through the crowds. Everyone was decorated extravagantly, purple beads and necklaces strung heavily around their necks, some with masks resembling gods or devils, layered with dozens of detailed scarves and dresses.
Even with the noise, Daus adored the festivities already and the way it brought memories of coming with his family back. The town square used to decorate some sections for the Ardoine's, the Reaper Family, even the Mourneir's and LeTours, but past events had caused the end of that. Too much dissent. Even with the lack of old memories, the loud folk music, dancers, food stands and joy of Mardi Gras tugged at his heartstrings. It had been a long time since Daus had let loose.
Delphi on the other hand seemed to be having the time of her life, a wide, half crescent smile lighting up her freckled face as she took a large drag of her joint. She had never quite been like the rest of her quiet family, instead always sneaking out, drinking, partying. If it weren’t for her bad sight, she would have already left Daus to go further into the festival.
"Hey Lou, keep a hold of Fio for me, I'm going to grab drinks and some beads!" Emilio raised his voice as they neared the crowds, shoving his brother at his sister before darting away. He slipped between people and grabbed beads from everywhere, the ground, the people, etc. As he ran, his jacket flipped up, showing the colorful inside. It was one of those double jackets where there was designs on both sides.
While he made his way through the throngs of people, he switched his jacket to the colorful side. It was a deep purple decorated with gold skulls and masks, wich left no doubt that he was a LeTour. Unfortunately, while he was paying attention to his garment, he failed to notice the young man with vitiligo who he ran straight into.
"Stars and moons, I am sorry!" Emilio exclaimed, grabbing the man to steady both him and Emilio, keeping them both on their feet.
"Rude," Lou muttered. "Hey, Fio?" she queried, raising her voice. "I'm gonna go find a new scarf! See you later, don't get mugged, be careful!" she called out as she ran through the crowd, leaving her older brother on his own.
Lou wandered the crowded streets, eyes wide at all the color and music. She browsed some stalls, before finding what she wanted. A bright orange scarf, embroidered with little blue skulls at the edges. Of course, being Lou, she bought it with some of the money she had in her bag, and switched it with the one she had on.
As she continued walking, a strong smell hit her nose. Dark chocolate, one of her favorite things. Whirling around, she spotted a stall peddling chocolate, and purchased a sizable amount of their very darkest chocolate. She then started to walk around, nibbling on her chocolate and admiring the bitter flavor that she loved.
(No one:
Lou and Emilio: Abandons their brother)
Alex spotted Remi and gave him a light smile. They knew he didn't want to go to the festival as much as they did, or at least he always acted like it. They didn't say anything to their older brother continuing to walk to the festival in silence just wanting to get Mardi Gras over with already. After the festivities, it would be so much easier to read and practice shifting without having their family insisting on them going to silly festivities.
Their face forced itself to continue smiling as Alex and their siblings entered the town square where everything was bright, colorful, and loud. They wanted to bolt and go back to the manor right then and there but knew that they would have to come back anyway. So they took a deep breath and stuck with their family knowing that without them, they were probably going to freak out.
(Ack, hold on, I need to wake up and then I’ll respond)