Realistic or Modern firdaus.

[sox]

firdaus.

Setting: Sunset - Regional bonfire clearing
a z u l a Chimney Swift erised cleopatraa Inuzori Stardust Galaxy erzulie RosateNena @ThatNewGuy morbidity

A quick glance at the island from overhead might give one the impression that the vast acres of jungle and hill tops had sat uninhabited for generations, charted only by the wildlife that roamed freely across its terrain. The nearest coast line sat empty and barren, while the nearby tropics obscured all life beneath its leaves.

Unknown to the modern age, however, a rather elaborate feast was being prepared on the island of Firdaus. Two mighty clans comprised of some of society's most vicious expatriates, Shajara of the Jungle and Shati of the Coast, had finally found common ground on which to unite and host a makeshift gala on the packed dirt paths between their territories. The advisers of each clan, Dayyaan Bukhari and Laialee Ibrahim, worked endlessly to piece together a night under the stars that both clans could enjoy, despite the growing tensions between their leaders and the unmistakeable vitriol of dehumanizing slander spewn without care in their day-to-day happenings.

Due to their diligent efforts, the regional town center had been lit up by hundreds of torches and strewn with floral vines, all leading towards the central bonfire directly outside the shared meeting hall. Four wild boars had been strung up above the fire, enough to feed every islander and then some, with a variety of side dishes available nearby such as plantain pudding, locally imported rice wine, and roasted cassava. Performers from both clans were prepared to sing in celebration of the festive union, their handmade instruments taking up an entire corner of the clearing as they sported wide grins and colorful attire.

Everyone was expected to dress up for the event and potentially bring a dance partner, though the prospect of bringing someone from the opposite clan was still a rather daunting task for many. Regardless of the tension, the Shatis and Shajarans were ready to let loose for the evening, and nothing could dampen their excitement.

Well, almost nothing...

code by fudgecakez

 

[sox]

i'll show you prudes a good time, yeah?

day bukhari

In all his time as the adviser to the Shati leadership, Dayyaan had never felt as stressed as he did in this moment, frozen in front of his dresser in a solitary cabin-home wearing nothing but a ratty towel on his head and a pair of black boxer-briefs that he did indeed steal from some poor sap taking a mental health dip in Lake Talaab.

Day and Laia had spent the better part of the last week waking each other up every ten minutes as they took inventory of countless supplies for the party, going over details once, twice, three times until they were positive no asscheek-faced bellend could throw a wrench in their carefully devised plans. Had it not been for Laia holding him back any time he was about ready to snap, he was positive some merchant's teenage son would be missing a handful of his toenails at the moment. He really did owe that chick some good karma and a decent date to the party.

And so Day stood, eyes flickering between a metallic, traditionally embroidered Pakistani suit, and a Western loose-fitting dress shirt paired with black street trousers and numerous shiny accessories. He'd been stuck there for half an hour after his bath, unable to decide which style would catch the most eyes for this type of event. It had been a hot minute since the last cross-clan function he'd attended, and he most definitely had not dressed up to par for his status at the time. His chance to redeem himself had finally arrived, and he'd be damned if he messed it up.

"Day! Hey! Day, it's me!" a disgustingly familiar voice called from outside his door followed by far too many sharp knocks. "I'm coming in!" Before the adviser could get a word of warning in, the official Shati messenger, Rab something (Day didn't believe in last names for sub-par humans) had already sneaked his foot-scented self into his home.

Day grabbed the object nearest to him—a phallic-shaped dagger he'd made for shits and giggles because he's an adult—and flung it in Rab's direction, intentionally missing just enough to land in the wood beside his head but still close enough to make the poor guy yelp. "How many times are you gonna make me say it, Rabies?" he chided, hands on his hips. "You knock, I don't answer, you go away, and I pretend you don't have fleas at the next clan meeting. This is how we operate." Day clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Is it anarchy? Is that what you want? You want anarchy? Because you would absolutely die first."

Rab rolled his eyes dramatically before scooting halfway out the door, keeping nervous watch of his surroundings as he spoke. "T-The fire's ready and they need s-some of your knives for the boars. That's all they wanted me to t-tell you. You're mean." He glanced down at the two outfits laid on the cot. "And that suit's ugly."

Day's eyes narrowed in warning. "You bring out the worst in people, fat boy," he called after Rab's suddenly retreating form. With a deep sigh, however, he stowed away the suit (it was too hot for that material anyways, he reasoned) and slipped into the second outfit, adorning it with a couple of shiny pendants as well as handmade necklaces made by fellow clan members out of things like flowers, animal teeth, and amber. They were his prized possessions, but he figured he could bust them out for a night like this.

With his fit finally settled and confidence in his decision-making abilities restored, Day slipped a bottle of his darkest bourbon off the shelf into his bag and locked the door of his cabin behind him, heading into town on his horse for a night of fresh boar cuts and booze galore.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[Chimney Swift]

Breathe in

Maddie Swift

♡ Outfit ♡​

Maddie's fingers tugged gingerly at the tailored sleeves of her short, light blue dress. Truly, this was the first time she'd been out of her old hospital pajamas since... well, too long.

This new dress was, in fact, tastefully sewn together from pieces of a much larger men's shirt. Still, it had a neat and pretty look to it that suited her in an odd way. The pale blue caught the icy flecks in her eyes nicely, and the vintage, youthful look was perfect for her. The tribe's seamstress had done an impressive job for the young fisher. On her feet were a pair of woven sandals, and carefully crowning her head was a flower wreath she'd made herself for the occasion.

She felt like a new person, almost. Looking in the cracked mirror tacked to the wall of her little home, she hardly recognized herself. Her reflection dully stared back at her, its edges flickering and distorting as it seemed to mouth words at her. A trick of the light, she told herself, fighting back against the echoes starting up in her head. She had no time for this. No time at all. The party would be starting soon and she had a several mile journey to make by a very old and stubborn pony.

This wasn't her first time setting foot outside of Shati territory, but it would be the first time she'd really met with the other tribe. The Shajara were a mystery to her, one she had no particular yearning to solve. She traded fish and supplies with them at the posts, and that was that. But now she'd been paired up with a Shajara girl and sent off to this soirée. The girl was a scavenger and cook, she'd heard, new to their tribe. Well, at least they had one thing in common already: feeding a tribe was a hard job indeed. Many lives were lost to the sea, and many to the jungle, but it was this work that ensured the survival of the people.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, she turned away from the mirror, running her hands nervously through her hair as she opened the creaking door of the shack and went out into the dim evening light.

_______________________

When she finally led her pony to the stables and made the long walk up the trail, she found the place bedecked in torches and in flower wreaths, much like herself. But the whole scene felt... bigger, wider than when she'd last been there, and that made her frightened. She felt all the smaller... unarmed and exposed. Literally exposed-- this dress showed in good view the scars on her arms and legs that her pajamas always hid.

This is the night you die, crab. Termite. Snake. Someone said behind her, that someone being no one. T-This is not your world.

"Shut up." She found herself muttering under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Today of all days was one she had to keep her composure. Her tribe depended on it... well, not really, but telling herself that seemed to help Maddie in an odd way.

She took another breath, then another after... anything to quell the anxiety. She quickly found herself pouring a full cup of rice wine, sipping at it slowly as she idled by the table, her wide eyes searching for her dancing partner.

She could get through this.
She had to.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[cleopatraa]

Free yourself from the burdens you carry

Laialee Ibrahim

~ Outfit ~​

It was a beautiful day on the island, not a single grey cloud in sight. A slight breeze rippled through the jungle behind Laialee’s cabin and through her open window, sending a few leaves flying in along with the sudden gust of air. Eyes flying open, Laia jolted awake, sitting upright as the sound and feeling woke her from her dreamless sleep. Her eyes flickered to the open window, and then the large green leaves that scattered the wooden floor of her small bedroom.

Great. With a heavy sigh, Laia swung her legs over her bed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head as she went over the checklist already forming in her mind.

Despite having spent the last week going over every little detail for today’s event—a necessary bonfire between the two clans—Laia still felt anxious. She had half a mind to find Day and confirm that the boars were good to go, but she figured he needed the better part of their day to unwind just as much as she did.

Tensions had been high between the two clans while their advisors had spent most of their time organizing an event that was meant to bring peace, but Laia had strangely found herself impressed with Day’s diplomacy, for the most part. The only couple of times he had been close to losing it had been for somebody else’s stupid mistake, but nonetheless, the last thing Laia needed was for a fight to start during the planning of a function that was meant to bring peace. Still, the quick tempered advisor to the Shati Clan had been surprisingly pleasant to work with and Laialee would be lying if she had said she was not looking forward to seeing the results of their hard work and planning.

Laia’s mind continued to ponder over how the night could possibly go as she walked out of her small bedroom and into her living space. She continued moving through her cabin until she was overlooking the TLC river as she leaned against the railing of her porch. It truly was a beautiful day, which was ironic, really. The sunshine and warm weather did not match the mood on the island. In fact, most of the Shajara Clan had voiced their disdain towards having a friendly bonfire—and they voiced their anger out at her.

Laia rubbed her temples, there had been more than enough instances where she had to quite literally put someone back in their place, like the other day for example, when one of the Shajara clan members had thrown a rock at her out of anger when she announced attendance was mandatory and failure to attend would result in punishment.

While she dodged the rock and avoided the blow, she could not say the same for the poor sap who had thrown the rock initially. He wound up with his face shoved into the jungle floor and a broken hand. But it was a good message to send to the rest of the Shajara Clan, a decent reminder that as patient as their Advisor was, she could only take so much. It was also a good reminder that she was not a force to be reckoned with, and the whole debacle had ended with gained respect from some of the most unruly Shajarans.

Running a hand through her thick, dark hair, Laia turned on her heel and returned to the inside of her cabin, realizing she had woken up quite late, which she blamed on being unable to sleep the night before. A quick glance at the sun and the shadow it cast was enough to tell Laia that it was the afternoon and that she needed to start getting ready. Inside her cabin was a small bathroom, and while she did not have a bathtub, she had built a water pump that made showering in the privacy of her own cabin much more enjoyable than diving into the TLC just to get clean. Plus, it saved her time, and considering that she needed to be at the bonfire early to get the fire started, she had none to spare.

Laia got ready quickly, her outfit consisted of a flowy black chiffon skirt with a slit that ran all the way up to the top of her thigh, allowing for a freer range of movement. She paired it with a white off the shoulder blouse that the Island’s seamstress had stitched for her about a week prior. Her outfit was simple—Laia did not want to stand out. Her face and name was one of the most recognizable on the island due to her position and besides, tonight was not about her. It was about the members of each clan getting to know each other and celebrate peace.

Leaving her hair in it’s natural waves, Laia took a quick glance in her mirror, surveying her appearance. Black flowers were mixed into her hair, some big like a giant rose, and some smaller, like a budding daisy. Though they were black, they had an almost holographic look to them, and when the flowers caught the light, the glistened in several, shiny--almost metallic colors. It was a Shajaran tradition to sport flowers that represented their rank and status, and tonight she, Kyra, and Jade would all be sporting black flowers that represented leadership.

There were orange and green flowers mixed into her hair as well, from Laia's time as a hunter and warrior when she first arrived on the island. But the most apparent flowers, the largest and the most beautiful, were the obsidian ones that seemed to home rainbows under the light. She was missing something, however. Picking up her dagger, Laia fastened it into place with a black leather garter on her thigh. Standing up, she smoothed down her skirt before she exited her cabin, making sure all the windows and doors were locked as she did so.

Upon arriving at the regional town center, Laia was glad to find that there was not much to do besides start the bonfire. Once it was lit, she took a step back, appreciating the aesthetic of the evening. Everything seemed to be running smoothly; the decorations were stunning, the torches were lit, and the aroma of the food was mouth watering. She drifted through the town, adding a couple of finishing touches where she needed to, securing every last detail into place.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan, except for one minor flaw. They were lacking on the amount of knives needed to cut the boars; Laia knew she should have brought some from her cabin or stopped by Jade’s treehouse to borrow some. Though, she doubted the Shajara’s fearsome lead warrior would want to lend out her knives, despite being one of Laia’s closest confidant and friend. Her eyes scanned the crowd that was already at the town center until they found who she was looking for.

“Rabies!!” Laia called out, watching as the male being summoned scurried over to her. She lifted her hand so he stopped a few feet away from her—a safe distance. “Go run and find Day and ask him to bring knives for the boars. Hurry. Also, let him know that everything is ready—the fire is lit.” She practically commanded the island’s messenger, but her tone was gentle, as it always was.

As Rabies scurried away, Laia drifted over to the table where the rice wine was. After pouring herself a decent sized glass, Laia’s eyes searched the crowd for any sign of Kyra, her clan’s fearless leader, and Jade. They were the two people she respected and liked most, and it certainly helped that most of her time spent was with them. Her date had yet to arrive, which Laia was fine with, as it gave her more time to mingle with some of the members of both clans.

Laia had a natural way of making conversation easy for people, and it wasn’t because she tried. She was genuinely curious about people and had a way of asking questions and getting answers without looking like she was prying. It certainly helped her keep a tab on who was capable of what on an island filled with criminals and refugees alike. Her eyes flickered to a young girl, dressed in a blue shirt dress and Laia found herself smiling at her, impressed with the stitching of the dress. It certainly was different.

It was nice to see the younger islanders mingling about, and Laia suddenly wondered where little Bucho, her miniature spitfire of energy, was. He was coming along with the rest of the kids, but in true Shajara fashion, they were late.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[RosateNena]

The most dangerous person is the one who listens, thinks and observes

Nolan Borden

With a rhythmic thumping on the floor from his bouncing leg and his favorite pen resting in his right hand, Nolan rereads every note that he has written for Thalia. She's definitely a pretty girl, and he adores just how kind she is—almost a little too kind. The Shati hunter has a heart made seemingly out of gold, which just so happens to be the first thing he noticed and found attractive about her.

Unable to cease his thumping leg, Nolan releases a heavy sigh. This is his first date since a certain... incident took place. Well, if one can even call it a date. While he understands that the two were brought together by odd circumstances, he wants to ensure that her evening is nothing but perfect. Remembering that her favorite color is 'beige, like the sand', he tries his best to create an outfit that incorporated it. Sure, the original comment wasn't meant for him directly, but he overheard her and couldn't help but write it down.

Nolan runs his hands through his hair once, twice, even a third time before he assumes that it's presentable enough. He takes a glance down at his outfit to ensure that there are no wrinkles and does a few simple stretches to get his nerves down a bit. Everything will be fine. This is just a simple date with a pretty girl. They're not the same person. Her eyes will only be on me tonight. Just me.

He took another deep breath before taking a peek outside the window—it looked just about time to leave. Quickly gathering his journal and other random notes, he did another skim before shoving them into his bag. Slinging the straps onto his shoulders, he made his way out the door after ensuring that all four locks had been sealed. Better to be safe than sorry.

Nolan had promised to meet Thalia at the bonfire and couldn't afford to be late. He ran to find his horse, a frown spreading across his face when he finally did. His horse is a bit... stubborn, meaning that she doesn't particularly like Nolan. He understood this, and so he prepared himself for the inevitable.

"Easy, girl, we have somewhere to be," Nolan muttered quietly to his horse. When he decided that it was safe, he made an attempt to mount her. Much to his demise, she ran off again and left him flat on his ass. "You son of a bitch!" He quickly stood up, wincing from his sore behind in the process, before chasing after her.

After finally managing to mount and guide her to the stables, Nolan made his way down to the heart of the event. His back and arse still hurt like hell but he did his best to ignore the dull aches. Instead, he placed his attention on the abundance of torches and floral vines. There were also four incredibly hard to miss boars hanging above the fire. Everything was all so well put-together that he knew he had to give a compliment to Laialee when he saw her. His eyes then scanned the area in an attempt to find his date.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[morbidity]

may these flowers bring beauty to your eyes

Sanoh Bunmi

The shattered remnants of various mirrors glued together sat lazily against a makeshift hide wall, the reflection heavily skewed from the pieces being forced together in such a barbaric fashion. Still, it was somewhat bewitching, Sanoh’s image becoming more of an art piece than anything else. Her dark eyes were fixated on her form, her eyebrow raised. Seeing herself was an oddity, as a mirror was a luxury she wasn’t used to having.

Sinful. You have become pious for vanity. Do you hold no shame?

Sanoh’s face flushed, his words echoing in her head, taunting her. She needed them out, gone for good. Her hand raised, frantically striking herself across the face. She couldn’t think of him, she refused.

Cheek now reddened, Sanoh looked back at herself, a satisfaction brewing in her stomach as she stared. Her dress was rather ornate, with frills and lace galore. Her waist was lightly sinched, her neck covered in fabric, and wrapped in copper. Blue flowers were woven into her hair, but as her eyes flashed over her own face, Sanoh felt an emptiness. Something was missing. Moving closer to the mirror, she pouted, staring at her now bruised cheek. Fumbling to the ground, she reached for the final piece to her puzzle, the residue of blush the seamstress had given her. Not knowing how to use it, and not really caring, Sanoh filled in her bruise, turning it into a bright heart. Then she moved to her eyes, dabbing the blush over her eyelids gently. Finally, she was finished, a small giddiness rushing through her as she twirled for the mirror. Never had Sanoh felt so beautiful, but then again, she never had known what true beauty was, only staring at it from afar like a caged bird.

_______________________________


Sanoh’s gaze flickered from subject-to-subject, her body moving aimlessly to the beat that chimed through the air. She bowed to each person as she passed them by, continuously bouncing as she did so. A man whose face Sanoh didn’t recognize started to bounce with her, raising what looked like a cigarette to Sanoh. Confused, Sanoh took the cigarette before looking back to the man.

“Go on, inhale!” He flashed his teeth to the girl, expectant of her to do something. Reading her confusion, he continued, “ You just suck on it like it is a straw, simple really-”

With that, Sanoh dutifully took a large drag, inhaling a large amount before coughing it out in a fit. Her throat felt on fire, grasping at it as she let the last of the cigarette hit the floor. She watched as the guy laughed, moving away from her as she stood hunched over in the crowd of people.

A fogginess Sanoh couldn’t place started to move over her body, a nervous, dizzying feeling that was more enjoyable than strange taking over. She let out a small, child-like giggle before she cleared her throat, eyes finally catching who she had been looking for in the first place.

Standing by the large dinner table was Maddie, someone she knew to find from the arrangement of flowers the smaller girl wore as a crown. Donning her best smile, Sanoh danced towards the girl gleefully. “How beautiful you are!” Sanoh exclaimed, bowing slightly with a curtsy. “You must be Maddie, right? I’m Sanoh! I don’t know if you really remember my name. We did some trades here and there-”

code by @fudgecakez

 

[Chimney Swift]

Ophelia, meet Ophelia

Maddie Swift

♡ Outfit ♡​

"How Beautiful you are!" A voice exclaimed out of seemingly nowhere. Maddie, lost in the taste of her wine, was snapped out of her brief reverie at the sight of a stunning young woman who had suddenly appeared before her, taking a courteous bow in her elegant, laced white dress. Maddie somewhat ungracefully coughed on her swallow of wine, covering her mouth apologetically and silently waving hello.

She, too, had decorated her hair in flowers, and between that and the lovely white dress, suddenly Maddie was reminded of that play she read before leaving school for the hospital that last time: Hamlet. And this girl, with her flowers and her musical voice, couldn't help but bring to mind Ophelia, the protagonist's lover. Who was driven mad by the events of the play and drowned herself in a river.

Maddie, who at one point had actually tried to drown herself in a river, suddenly wondered if it was her who more resembled the character. And that thought made her shiver a little.

Nevertheless, the woman continued her introduction:

“You must be Maddie, right? I’m Sanoh! I don’t know if you really remember my name. We did some trades here and there-”

Oh, yes. Now Maddie remembered her face. It looked so different, adorned in makeup and flowers.

"Oh, right!" She politely replied, setting her wine cup aside for a moment to offer her hand to Sanoh. "Yes-- Maddie, that's me. Hello. N-nice to meet you outside of the market." She gave a wavery smile, her other hand smoothing out the ruffles of her skirt. She couldn't help but be a little nervous, but in truth she was glad they chose each other as partners. Maddie saw now they had even more in common than she originally thought...

code by @fudgecakez

 

[erised]

I'M THE KING, I'M THE BOSS​

A bonfire barbecue thing between the clans, or whatever the fuck it was, was the last fucking thing Jaiden wanted to do this evening. He already despised almost all of the Shajarans and disliked a majority of his own clan. So why the hell would he want to spend his evening with them? But he knew that if he didn't go, he'd get an earful along the lines of "you're part of Shati leadership, you must go". And Jai would rather drink cyanide than sit through that, so attend this dumb bonfire he would.

To be honest, he'd completely forgotten about this bonfire thing. He'd woken up and immediately gone for a run along the beach, worked out, and then had target practice. Instead of his usual practice spot, he'd decided to venture further into the jungle. Big mistake since some of the rocks were still slippery from last nights rain and he wasn't paying attention to where he was stepping. Next thing he knew, he was flat against the rocks with the feeling as if a truck had run over his ribcage.

Furious with himself, he headed back to the beach and whipped off his shirt to assess the damage. And yep, that was a nice sized bruise. He ran his finger over it to try and figure out what was wrong, but couldn't tell if it was a broken rib or just a bad bruise. Whatever. He'd tape it up later. For now, he was going to take a nap. So he just flung himself down onto the sand and shut his eyes.

Jai probably would have slept through the night if he weren't woken up a few hours later by some fellow Shati's walking by, loudly discussing what they were wearing to the bonfire tonight. And oh shit--that was tonight? Fantastic. Wanting to put it off as much as he could but also knowing he couldn't, Jaiden pushed himself up off the sand and headed back home, wincing at the increased pain in his ribs. Yeah, they were probably broken. But was he going to see a doctor? Nope.

He ate a very late lunch before washing off. And then it was time to tackle just what the fuck he was going to wear. He knew he'd have to wear something nicer than his usual tee/tank and jeans or board shorts, but the problem was that he just didn't have very many nice clothes. There were a handful of nice-ish things he brought from New York but wasn't sure they'd qualify as "nice". Whatever. They'd have to do.

He rummaged through his drawers before pulling out a pair of black metallic jeans, a black mesh tank and a black jacket. He hesitated for a moment on the jacket since it was the last thing his father gave him and he didn't want it to get ruined, but figuring he might get cold later, ended up pulling it out of the drawer. He'd just be careful. When everything was on, Jaiden took a moment to check himself out in the mirror, noticing a small issue. Since the shirt was mesh, he couldn't wrap his ribs as the bandage and overall outfit would clash. Oh well, he'd dealt with worse things.

He shoved a few knives into his boots and the inner parts of his jacket, making sure they were hidden from view. He had a feeling weapons wouldn't be appreciated at this bonfire, but Jaiden refused to go anywhere without a knife on him. After taking a moment to style his hair, he glanced at his watch, noticing he had a bit of time to spare before he needed to head over. The bonfire had already started but for him, being on time was the absolute worst thing ever. So, he whiled away time by throwing the various knives he kept around his house at random things, watching as they hit their intended targets right in the middle.

After 30 minutes of this, Jaiden figured it was time to leave. He decided against riding his horse, knowing that the stallion hated being ridden on anything but the sand and flat terrain and the path that he'd have to take was very rocky. Plus, riding would jar his ribs and he didn't feel like dealing with that. So, Jai decided to walk. It wasn't the end of the world and it actually turned out to be a pretty nice evening, temperature wise.

A little ways into his journey, he noticed someone walking ahead of him, presumably heading to the bonfire as well. As he got closer, he noticed that it was Thalia walking alone as well. Since he was a fast walker, he knew he'd pass her any second and it would just be hella awkward if he walked past without greeting and walking with her when they were headed to the same place. So, being the gentleman that he is (not), Jaiden slowed down when he reached her side, matching her pace. "Hello, Thalia," he greeted. "Headed to the bonfire as well?"

He noticed how she jumped slightly as he spoke, seeming to not have heard him approach. "Yes," she answered with a smile. "I'm meeting someone there."

"Cool," Jai said, not at all caring about who the fuck she was meeting there. "It's a nice night for a bonfire." The two continued to make small talk until they reached the bonfire, entering the grounds side by side. Jai noticed the four boars roasting and prayed that there was other food because as a pescatarian, there was no way he was eating those. He glanced around, taking in who else was there before shrugging and sitting down, Thalia sitting next to him. He didn't really mind her sitting next to him, but would much rather be alone.

________________________________________

location: bonfire
interactions: thalia
outfit: xxx​

 

[a z u l a]

how do i stop the guilt?

kyra zervakos

Tonight was an important night. The island had been exceptionally tense lately, with both clans arguing over who should have control of the river hostility had been rising. To qualm the growing tension between the Shajara and the Shati, they had decided on throwing a party to raise everyone's spirits and remind one another that without the other clan they wouldn't survive. While Kyra was not particularly charmed by the Shati, she had told her clan that if they caused any disturbances tonight they would be facing the wrath of her, Jade, and Laia. There was no one in Shajara dumb enough to test the three most powerful women on the island. Except, maybe that Nolan kid.

As a show of good faith, both leader's had decided to take each other as dates. Also partially because Kyra didn't know many Shati members very well. They worked together enough to survive but they didn't have much in terms of social relationships. The only people the ex-con cared about were her own, as long as the beach dwellers did their part on the island she didn't care what happened to them. The system of Shajara and Shati had ben set long before she'd come to the island and she wasn't going to question it, her clan was good to her and she tried her hardest to be a good leader for them. It didn't help that the conflict over the river was happening under her rule. Many villagers were unhappy with her, they either thought she was doing too much or not enough. Without her trusted advisor and lead warrior by her side, Kyra wasn't sure she'd make it through this logistical nightmare.

There was hardly ever a reason to celebrate on Firdaus, for once Kyra had to recruit her friends to help her pick out an outfit that functioned as something other than good for hunting or fighting. The brunette had settled on a two-piece made of snakeskin that the Shati seamstress had sewn for her just for the occasion, adorning herself with the few pieces of jewelry she owned. There were very few things that Kyra had managed to bring with her, most of what she owned now was from the island. For the first time in a long time, Kyra did not don the dark eye-paint the she typically wore, trying to show that this was a gathering of peace and she did not plan to would not resort to the expected brutal tactics of the Shajarans tonight. However, it didn't mean that she wasn't strapping her favorite knife to her thigh against the fabric of her pants.

It was unusual for Kyra to have her hair out of it's usual braids to keep it out of her face, but tonight she'd washed it and let it hang loosely down her shoulders, only pulling her bangs into a delicate crown braid so that she could weave her symbolic flowers into it. The black flowers she'd interwoven into the intricate braids of her dark hair symbolized her status, an deep obsidian that symbolized power, just like the ones Laia and Jade adorned. There was one red flower tucked into her braids, small but brightly contrasted against the dark of her hair. The red symbolized lovers, but there was no one on the island to wear the matching flower. Instead, it laid on her shelf next to a picture of a younger her and Markos. Laia had told her more than once that it was time to move on, but between her leadership duties and the constant struggle of surviving there simply was no room for any sort of romance.

Once she was satisfied with her look, the Shajaran leader locked up her home and made her way down to the border land where the bonfire was being held. While she wasn't the first to arrive, she was by no means late and the party still hadn't quite started yet. The clearing was more beautiful than she'd imagined it would be, Laia and Day had done an impressive job pulling this whole thing together. Speaking of her trusted advisor, Kyra spotted the party planner across the clearing tending to some last minute preparations.

"Well, maybe we should change your title to Shajara Party Planner." Kyra joked, a smile gracing her face as she walked up towards the dark-haired beauty.

outfit: x | tags: laia cleopatraa

code by @fudgecakez

 

[erzulie]

Jade Munson

Jungle Babe

Jade has woken up early that morning as she usually did. For the longest time she had been an early riser. In the past she would have to wake up early with her brother, her days filled with looking over things within their gang to make sure things were running smoothly , or attending meetings and setting up plans to acquire more territory. Fleeing to Firdaus had done nothing to change that, in fact it had only made her a lighter sleeper as she was surrounded by criminals and dangerous animals.

Typically she spent her mornings being productive, whether she was out hunting, training, or meeting up with Laia and Kyra. In fact she had spent most of the morning hunting for the bonfire that had been put together by the two clan advisors. A bonfire that Jade believed would be up in flames by the end of the night, despite the orders to remain civil. She didn’t understand why they’d have to be on their best behavior for the likes of the Shati clan but nonetheless she would follow orders.

Jade had even managed to find herself a date to the little get together. After a visit to the Shati doctor Jade had all but demanded that he go with her to the bonfire, and to her surprise and satisfaction he had agreed. So after being patched up, she’d told him to wear something black and green around his neck before being on her way.

Now She stood in front of her makeshift mirror, getting ready for the bonfire. She had even applied a small amount of flower oil she’d gotten from trading, the smell was pleasing but not overpowering. After getting dressed she’d moved onto her hair. The Shajara has a tradition of adorning themselves in flowers and each color has different meanings. Like her leader and advisor she’d be wearing black, as a sign of her authority and as the lead warrior and hunter of the clan she’d also be wearing green.

Jade admired herself for a moment. The way the onyx flowers in her hair were so black that they were blue, a pure jet black in color. The others were a lovely forest green, just like the jungle she was surrounded. Jade has decided to wear something simple, that fit the occasion and was easy to move in should something happen. Though with the small blade she’d hidden in her hair she was more than prepared. With one last look Jade was one her way and upon arriving she stopped just outside of the bonfire. She wanted to show Laia and Kyra that she’d been a good girl and put effort into the little bonfire.

Jade waited for a bit before heading inside, she didn’t want her leader and advisor to think that she had skipped out. When she spotted them Jade walked over, smirking as she looked them over. “Sorry for the wait. Nice to see that no one has died yet.” She chuckled.

outside bonfire

here

interactions: laia cleopatraa , kyra a z u l a

mentions: tae Inuzori

coded by natasha.

 

[cleopatraa]

Free yourself from the burdens you carry

Laialee Ibrahim

View attachment 748327
~ Outfit ~​

Laialee’s fingers brushed along the white petals of one of the floral vines decorating the makeshift ’bar’. It was easy to forget that she had a life before the island—or maybe it was just easier to pretend that she didn’t. It was hard to imagine those delicate hands were able to snap an armed man’s neck in half, especially as they danced along the flowers, her fingers gracefully skimming their gentle surfaces.

Well, maybe we should change your title to Shajara Party Planner.

The familiar voice broke her her chain of thoughts and almost immediately a soft smile spread out across Laia’s lips. Turning around, Laia’s eyes met Kyra’s and she found herself walking forward to meet her, admiring her appearance.

“You look beautiful,” Laia gushed earnestly, immediately engulfing her leader in a hug. Laia’s relationship with Kyra was one held she held very close to her heart—she trusted Kyra’s judgement through and through. And Laia admired her, often seeing a reflection of her own self in the dark-haired stunner.

As the two females pulled back from their hug, Laia took a sip of her rice-wine, letting out a small giggle. It was easy to be herself and relax when she was around such a familiar and comforting presence—it was as if she felt just a little safer. “I really like your outfit—I think Jade will too. You know how she loves her snakes,” Laia said, ending her words with a playful wink as she gently bumped her hip against Kyra’s.

Glancing towards the entrance of the bonfire, Laia’s eyes lit up as her smile widened. “Speaking of our friend…” she mused, catching sight of the Shajara clan’s fearless head warrior. Jade’s skin glistened in the sun, looking almost like copper. She truly was breathtaking.

“Glad to see we’re all here,” Laia finished, turning to Kyra with a relieved smile. “You haven’t seen Kei with the little ones, have you?” she asked, a light twinkle in her eyes as she thought of seeing little Bucho.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

it hurts but it's okay... I'm used to it

Skyler Lowe

Being a leader wasn't an easy task if someone would have told Skyler that she would end being the leader of a clan and be the one in charge of keeping at ease everyone and the peace between Shati and Shajara she would have laughed about it, well she wouldn't be in Firdaus, to begin with, if she hasn't murdered the attempt of men that she called boyfriend and father, but even with her trying to prevent a war between the clans she still had a better life than the one she had back in Bristol, so things were not that bad as she expected or at least that's what she wanted to think.

That night both clans would reunite as one and celebrate a party in order to smooth the tension of the clans due to whose clan should have the ownership of the river of the island, she found burdensome that they couldn't have solved that problem before she became the leader of Shati, but when you had an island full of convicts and people with cloudy pasts you couldn't expect to everyone to get along and not have conflicts, but having a party when there was going to be some kind of form of alcohol and people with daggers, knives, and different weapons didn't make the best combination, but Skyler wasn't going to refute the idea since the advisers and the Shajara leader came to an agreement.

The only thing she was happy about was that she didn't need to organize the party, back in Bristol she used to go to parties once in a while but that didn't make her a party person and even less the one that would organize them so when Day and Laialee the Shajara advisor took charge of it, she just left them to help themselves and asked for how the preparations were going, to show that she was interested in the event.

The time for the party was getting closer and as Skyler was getting ready she felt sick to her stomach, both leaders have agreed to go together to show they were trying to build a better relationship for the clans, but just the thought of going with someone made Skyler wanting to vomit, she didn't have anything against the Shajara leader but after what happened in her last relationship scarred Skyler deeply and just the thought of being close to someone gave her anxiety. She took some deep breaths trying to calm down she couldn't show any weakness that her clan members and even the Shajara members would notice she needed to be the pillar of Shati and she would do whatever she could for her people.

When she felt her anxiety has already calmed down she left her cabin and walked towards the beach as soon as she arrived she would notice the hard work that Day and Laialee put into it, she needed to thank them and congratulate them for their effort, she noticed some familiar faces already there she took notice of the Shajara leader and adviser who seemed were already on a discussion, she needed to go and greet them but first, some rice wine would help her anxiety that was coming back again.

Outfit: X | Mentions: sox a z u l a cleopatraa | Interactions: none​

code by @fudgecakez

 

[RosateNena]

The most dangerous person is the one who listens, thinks and observes

Nolan Borden

Feeling like he could throw up at any second, Nolan ran his fingers through his hair again. To say that he's nervous is definitely an understatement. This is an important event and he didn't want to mess up or make the Shajara look bad due to his nerves. He also wants to make sure that Thalia has a good time—maybe things can go a little further for them in the future, who's to say? He let out a deep breath, eyes continuing to scan the area for a certain blonde.

When he finally caught sight of Thalia, Nolan's eyes quickly widened. Sure, she looks absolutely stunning but that's not what he's concerned about. What really caught his attention is that she's sitting next to Jaiden and looks happy about it. She's smiling and Jaiden looks like he couldn't give two shits about her.

All of the colors drain from Nolan's vision and are replaced solely with red. He tenses up and quickly balls his fists, nails digging into his palms hard enough to tear the skin. Why is she sitting with him? Does she not respect me? Was I wrong about her?

Nolan wants nothing more than to tear Jaiden apart at that moment but he quickly remembers why they are all gathered—a (hopefully) peaceful bonfire. He can't be the one to break the facade of peace, and so he attempts to release all of his tension and put a smile on his face.

"Hey," he says with a shy wave as he begins to walk over to the two of them. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting or anything." He really hopes that he didn't. The less time the two of them had together, the better.

Thalia's gaze shifts to meet Nolan's and his chest tightens when she smiles. "Not at all! We just got here, so there's no need to worry." Her smile reaches her eyes and it's beautiful.

"Sounds good," Nolan shoves his hands into his pockets, lips forming into a thin line as he glances between the two of them. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Outfit: X| Mentions: erised | Interactions: Jaiden, Thalia​

 

[erised]

I'M THE KING, I'M THE BOSS​

"Did you see those boars roasting?" Thalia wondered.

"Yeah," Jaiden answered, because how could anyone miss them. "I'm really hoping they have other food because I'm not about to eat them."

"Oh, you're a vegetarian?"

"Pescatarian," he corrected, "have been since I was a kid." He couldn't recall the last time he ate meat from a land animal.

The conversation was interrupted by a small 'hey' and Jaiden's head snapped over to the direction it came from, eyes narrowing to see just who the fuck was coming over to him. Fucking Nolan. Great.

And then he was right in front of them. Fantastic. Jaiden tuned out as the two of them began to speak to one another, not interested in the conversation in the slightest. Unfortunately, he managed to tune back in just in time to hear the last question.

"No," he answered before Thalia could. "I was walking over when I spotted her on the path in front of me and when I caught up, we decided to walk over together, that's all." he finished with a shrug.

Jaiden's eyes darted back and forth between the two for a second before a lightbulb went on in his head. "I'm meeting someone there" Thalia had said on their walk over. And one look at Nolan's defensive posture, the hidden fire in his eyes and the anger simmering beneath the surface whenever he looked at Jai and Thalia, Nolan was the one Thalia was meeting.

And... what?

"Wait," he started, "this is who you're meeting?" he asked Thalia, tilting his head over to Nolan when he said 'this'. He watched her nod slightly and then he let out a derisive laugh. "Seriously?"

He decided to give her a break and focus his attention on Nolan because there was no way Thalia knew about Nolan's dating history. If she did, Jaiden figured she'd never agree to meet him here. "Wow," was all he said, eyes narrowed.

"So... managed to somehow score another date, huh?" he wondered, leaning back onto his elbows. "That's really fucking amazing, considering your track record. Slit the throat of one girl, burned another alive. Who knows what you did to the others?"

He could sense Thalia tensing next to him and yep, he was right; she didn't know any of this until now. "What were you going to do with Thalia, huh? Tell her you were taking her somewhere romantic and then stab her in the heart or bust her skull in with a rock?"

Jaiden adjusted the position of his legs and torso, making it easy to grab the knives hidden inside his boots and jacket should it come to that. But he wasn't done quite yet. "Don't worry Thalia, you're safe with me. I'll protect you from him."

________________________________________



location: bonfire

interactions: nolan & thalia

tags: RosateNena

outfit: xxx​