Posts by - RAPHAEL

    ♔ There was blossom stuck to the canvas of the sky, painting it a whimsical red. It was a pretty sight to see, if not for the foreboding nature that always partnered with red skies. For the sun was setting early, on this particular day, if only to hide from the events to transpire. For a figure was looking slowly towards the dictating castle gates. A figure normally bathed in the purity that was ivory, marked only by flecks of grey ocean spray stuck permanently to his pelt. Today that same pelt was rouged, though the blood was not his.

Ebony eyes wild with the scent of broken flesh, the kelpie was obviously struggling in a battle. A mental war that constantly rated on inside the enigma of his head, to kill or not to kill. For the body, although limp in his jaws, was not dead. Not in truth. Yet, nor was it injured. The body in question? Dahlia Coulter, Queen of Eden. Traitor turned patron, friend turned memory, Queen turned legacy. He had almost killed her... Almost. Soil dwellers were oblivious, at times. So used to the sight of a horse, menially chewing on grass, they would forget to keep their distance from him whilst he gorged on a carcass. Dahlia had come too close but she was not entirely there, by the time she had breached proximity. Her spirit was elsewhere, wrestling with demons and shadows. In his bloodlusted state, he did not take notice of her ramblings until silence filled her tongue. He had lunged forward just as she had collapsed to the ground, jaws snatching nothing but air between their osteo-daggers. Her vessel lay empty and so did Raph's mind. How loyal a knight, yet he could not revive his Queen.

Yet, he had remembered something of her final ramblings. Something that would refuse to stop echoing in his head, clattering around in his brain. "Take my place." Three words, barely a whisper, but loud enough to resonate in his soul. Three words and he was King. "OUR QUEEN IS DEAD." The stallion allowed his voice to rocket across the courtyard, Dahlia's body now laid delicately at his hooves. His neck arched over to protect the empty vessel. "Dahlia Coulter has gone from this world, stolen by demons. As of now, Eden is in mourning until the funeral is done." He looked feral. Mane shaken, blood splattered, canines grit in an unexplainable anger. For someone had taken his Queen, his friend. Demons and devils had ruled his life but no longer. "She- she, uh... She asked me to take her place. And be fucking sure that that is exactly what I'll do. Fuck if I'm not going to die looking after you munters." His voice softened, reality weighing heavy on its tone. He was not ready; he could barely look after himself. But that did not detract truth from his words. Eden was his, he would fight for it now until his dying breath. Be that as King or knight, Dahlia's wishes would not be left to dwell in the soil.

    ♔ "Aye, nice to know I ain't the only undipped baw-bag here." Raph was a celestial sight, it was undeniable. There was something about an ash speckled stallion that captured gazes (and numerous other things)- something he knew all too well. And yet, anything that spilled from his lips was often far from holy delicacies. No wonder Poseidon hadn't urged him back to the seas. Of course, he had his sister to thank for that, in large. The bitch just didn't quit. In any case, the newly made King held little of the learned verbal dignity the other leaders seemed to possess, and use oh-so-delicately.

In truth, he had forgotten these menial meetings had even existed. Not that they had ever had much purpose in holding a hut in his memories. Though, luckily, it had been mentioned to him that it would likely be ideal that he attend. Seeing as he was as clueless as snow in summer with how he deigned to handle this leadership malarkey. What state of mind had Dahlia been in? This was, almost certainly, the Trident King's idea of a joke. Didn't the gods have such friendly sense of humours? Although, it would be of no use to him if he persisted in dwelling on such puzzles. Dahlia had gone and left Eden in his hands- he meant what he said about dying before he abandoned the cause.

Perhaps a cause he should start with a name. "Raphael, King of Eden." A name positively likely to be forgotten after the couple of hours this meeting would last. Poseidon knew he would more than likely forget half the buggers' names currently present. Yet, it was a name he couldn't forget even if he wanted. Raphael- the name had been a cruel joke on his, courtesy of his mother dearest. A name he always tried to play off, shorten, stomp on. Not now. "Our Queen passed recently, a couple'a days actually. Eden's quiet, at the moment, but we're building, aye." He had plans. Plans that he had meant to help Dahlia resurrect. But his friend was gone and had left him her realm- he promised not to let it fall again.

raphael.

it's pulling me back, it's pulling me. . .

I was thinking we could do a few things to help boost activity. Unfortunately, my mind isn't the most creative so any ideas would be amazing!

Current thoughts:

- Dahlia actually was just freed from the demon that had trapped her soul so she was not really stolen by demons/devils but that is how Raph saw it. So, I was thinking that the knights could maybe go on a mad one trying to bring 'justice' to any wrongs done by demons?

- Dahlia was going to have a coronation with a tourney and everything where all the allies are invited. This will most likely still be happening for Raph though not till we boost activity a little more.

- A squire program (perhaps also a semi-hp for members showing potential to be mentored by high positions?)

- TBA

    ♔ King of Eden Even now the name rang false in his ears. Dahlia had been the perfect Queen- unflinching in her role. He could not say that she had made a bad decision in her second reign over paradise. Her first? She had been black-marked a traitor and thrown in the metaphorical stockades. Was that his fate? His first reign to end just as false as his new title? Except, this was the one thing he did not believe to be true to be the exact opposite. The fact that Dahlia had left him Eden was no lie, no hallucination. He had been in his bloodlusted state, yes, but that did not detract the impact those three words. 'Take my place.'

Well, here he was. King of a dying realm- stood on the borders of a silent ally. He had lived here, once upon a time when Kingship had never needed to scatter across his path unless in the form of Cavalrychoirs of Arthur. He had lived here when Eden had temporarily collapsed and their faithful allies had agreed to take them in. He hated it here. Not because of their principles, not because of their inhabitants. Not even because of ingratitude. RiverClan was a coastal bliss that hit him too close to home... Quite literally. It was October, now. November was whispering threats in the wind, using the sea as its voice. Everytime the kelpie thought he had mastered control, he lost it quite suddenly once more. Except, now of all times was when he needed his control dearly. He would not be the first Monarch of Eden to eat an ally. No matter the sea's seductions in his ear.

The border met his nose and gave a salty handshake. Hooves silenced as they stopped their motions, the stallion now stood before an old sanctum. It was in his optimistic thoughts that someone would come across him, rather soon. His patience was strong but his excitement had near always been stronger, if not levelled. Temptation was his weakness and the non-physical border, warning him away with but a saline scent, seemed oh too easy to cross.

    ♔ He hated these. This monotonous teetering and tottering around- informing so-and-so of this and whatsit about that. He should have people doing this for him. Perhaps he would have, if Eden did not feel so desolate. The silence weighed heavy on his crown- a constant, a brutal memo of his duties. He had a lot of work to do, not that Dahlia was at fault for leaving him a ghost town. She had cared for Eden just as much as he did, perhaps even more. Even deserted, Raph would stay put in the castle to protect its stony walls. Walls that seemed to be so critical of him that, at times, he pondered on their protection. What were a few rock bricks against the beauty of Eden? Everything, actually. The castle reminded of the unmoving principles, the steadfast justice- even whilst the idyllic settings continued on around it. Eden would rise again, as it always did. He had promised never to let it fall and that would certainly not happen under his reign. He owed it to Dahlia, if not himself.

Pushing through the brush, Raph came to a halt before WindClan's borders. An ally almost as silent as Eden... almost. Perhaps he could help them both revise that detail. In territories once polluted with voices, it was a strange thing to be met with silence.

    ♔ A newly appointed king, perhaps, should be basking outside in the praise of his people. Except, the rain outside was coming down hard and all of Raph's people were inside. The small masses left to populate Eden. There would be new members, that he knew. But the unpredictable was what concerned him and whether the newcomers stayed was far too unpredictable for his liking. Was it too early to dislike his new authority? Well, he did not dislike it entirely, no. King of Eden. He could salvage this place more easily than ever- something he had sworn his life as a knight to do... Or, rather, as a king, now.

The damned word had arose in his thoughts so many times, now, that it sounded like fictional garble. King was a suffix, not a word. And if it was a suffix, what had been his prefix? A map? Wait, no. Turning his head towards the black cat in the hall, Raph observed the culprit of his disturbed brooding. It seemed the male required some help and brooding had never suited the kelpie, in any case.

"Well, ain't that a lost cause if I e'er saw one." And there it was, the characteristic smug grin on his face to accompany his sarcasm-marinated words. The lad wanted to draw a map of this beast of a labyrinth? Poseidon be good, the boy would be eaten by its winding halls. Yet... "Aye, I'll help y'out. John, weren't it? M'name's Raph, if you remember." Well, if anything counted towards procrastination, this would be at the peak. What better distraction? Although, the stallion checked himself at the end of his greeting. Raphael. That was his introductory name, now. He was hiding no more