The Midsomar Festival!

"Faisine," she said, brows lifting at the man calling her beautiful in the manner of a flirt almost. Fai gave a smile and a bow the same as she had to others, and then she pocketed the vial. She sipped at her own drink and grimaced at the effects it had opposed to it's flavor, and she set her drink down. She then stepped away from the crowd of people because of unease, though not anyone's fault in particular. If someone chose to follow her, she would not really have anything to say at that moment. She seemed quite introverted, shy.

"I am a noble, yes..." She glanced over to the one who had followed her. He might notice the stringed instrument strapped to the side of her rucksack, a fine instrument indeed which indicated her noble birth for certain. "My father was a Duke before the great cataclysm. Technically I would be called a princess in some areas, though I am simply just Lady Faisine... As I said, by birth... But now? I highly doubt my title counts for anything anymore." She wasn't the least bit bitter sounding either, she had long since been at peace during her self imposed exile from people. "Right now you may call me Guardian Regent of the Usque if it pleases you," she flipped her hand carelessly. Of course she cared about THAT title, but the rest just seemed like it was best left in the past.

She turned and craned her head back to look up at him, clearly dwarfed by him.

Shortly after the first few party-goers arrived, another flood decided to join. The most noticeable one was sitting on the shoulders of another, pleating little braids in his long hair. She was copper-skinned, dark hair that rolled down her back like a river, vast, black wings that stretched up into the air towards the sky, and a body dotted with golden feathers and scales that caught the sun and reflected it in every direction around her. Some would mistake her for a harpy, perhaps a fae, but she was nothing so simple, nor so beastly or mysterious, though she shared many traits with the fair folk of the summer court.

With a toothy smile, she lifted herself up and pushed off of her friend's shoulders, looping through the air to greet the other guests. How exciting! She had never been to a party quite like this before, in another realm of all things. She circled for a while until she spotted two figures speaking to one another, one of which she could only guess was this... "Chesknight."

Swooping downward, she came to a slow halt beside them, hanging upside-down. With a smirk, she gave them a wink and a greeting.

"Good day to you both. I am Khepri, Bird of Paradise. I believe you must be Chesknight, am I correct?" She then looked towards the taller guest, the one with hair like amber, with a thickness to her muscles that reminded her of someone that wasn't invited. "And... who might you be?"

The third was a spirit, one who had traveled with the other two without stirring their notice. Unable to pierce the barrier between her realm and their own outside of her territory, she found them conjoin as she entered the festival.

A strangeness washed over her, suddenly being able to be seen by so many people. One person, maybe two, every few months was all she was accustomed to, but here there were four, five, ten, thirty, more- so many more! All who could train their eyes directly in her position, no, at her. Though ages old, having drawn breath for many years before the cataclysm, she found herself stunned.

This feeling melted away the further into the festival she walked in, easing her into a sense of enjoyment and comfort. She knew exactly what was coming over her, as she used the very same trick. She did not fight it, nor did she think she could, even with her magic. Many of the fae here were older than even herself, creatures conjured by nature, where she was born through the prayers of humans.

Even here, the spirit's form was inconsistent. It flickered and flowed, and though her face and shape were mostly consistent, sometimes she could be seen with antlers, other times gills, then in another moment her skin was the same as tree bark, and in another, illuminating like the evening sky. Here and there, her hair was made of vines or adorned with flowers, perhaps short and striped with vibrant orange and black. She carried with her all the sights of the Kiyonai forest.

She waited her turn behind her oblivious, but jovial traveling companions, though when the Chesknight was ready to receive her, she would give him a curtsy before she was on her way.

She gave him a sidelong look, "Just because one is a princess, doesn't mean they are beautiful. Besides, there are beauties about that you ignore for plain old me. Look over at the young lady I was talking to. She's beautiful." Faisine turned her attention back to the music. "I see," she said. She wasn't so sure on how to react to the man talking about his upbringing. Or was he just a young buck? He was quite talkative.

"It's my job," she said, "to guard the Usque."

The Chesknight was clearly enthused by the declaration Freya had for her homeland's property, and he raised his drink high (For him, at least) before pressing the edge of the cup to his helmet where lips should have been and, tilting his head back, drained it. There was no spillage, yet the drink was absent from the cup as surely as if it had been knocked back by a barbarian chief. In fact, one could almost have heard the tiny gulps...although it sounded peculiarly like the fae vocalizing the word "Gulp" in quiet tones. "This was alcohol left as reserved for the Summer Court." he explained pleasantly. "It was the dew of a flower, each the size of a man and would produce a keg a day! Unfortunately, the secrets were lost as the fog rolled over my former home." he added, although without the glum one might have expected.

Hearing his title, however, the Fae turned, peering up at the lovely Khepri and her man-servant as they approached. "I am indeed the Chesknight! I am thrilled you have come to join us, Lady Khepri, Bird of Paradise! I have heard many things about you. Some of them good!" he added quickly, as if the addendum might make it seem less suspect. "And this is Lady Haldar, of Taingaard!"

A number of fae danced and laughed, staring at Khepri and the others as they whispered secret thoughts into pointed ears and giggled, dancing away.

Gwyneth jumped slightly at suddenly being addressed having been trying to think of a way to politely and gracefully extricated herself from the conversation that had been hijacked. She turned to see the satyr there before the tips of her ears turned a brilliant scarlet from the compliment both from the woman she had been talking to and this new character. She really was no sight to look at. Her fae features did give her some elegance and grace, but the human blood served to curb the beauty sufficiently. Being as consumed in her work as she was as well, her appearance was also typically an after thought. She had thought to wash her hair and touch up her runes before coming, but that was all really.

With no small amount of hesitation, she took the offered drink with a soft 'thank you' before nodding. "Ah... yes. N-Not to the alone comment- I'm used to be a-alone- I am typically only with the forest as my company- But y-yes to the invite. Chesknight typically invites me. W-When I am not away collecting supplies... I... T-Try to be here." She said, fussing with her cane. Her eyes did flit around a bit landing upon the new arrivals and the other party goers before looking back at him, looking in his general direction.

He turned his head a bit give an questioning look before hearing the voice of another come not to long after “yes, the summer fae are most welcoming of em all!” He stated searching for a fae carring around the sweet alcohol so he could get yet another cup. “I haven’t been here for long” he gave a short pause of silence before continuing “if you ever need assistance with anything be sure to seek SAQ Sect, as we only work towards peace.” He announced with a confident tone “with that i’ll return in a few!” He lied walking to a fae grabbing another cup of alcohol then moving to the table with the many fruit, from there he glanced towards the corner he once stood in then looked away.

She was nervous, he could tell. Yet, that only served to spur him onwards, why not take the opportunity to bring her out of herself a bit?
"But parties aren't really something you seek out, are they?" he asked conversationally. "You show up, but why? Do you feel as if you owe the Chesknight something?" the question was innocent enough, of course, his eyes flickering across what small portions of her face were visible. Someone such as her was a beacon to the satyr. People who didn't want to be seen were always a treat.

Taking a swig from the stein he held, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, stepping forward as he extended the other. "Care to dance?"