• Logout
  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    Thread Rating:
    • 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    when all those shadows almost killed your light, gilt
    #1

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    This isn’t home, but she wants to explore it. 

    She is young, only a few weeks old, and even though her parents — especially her father — were overprotective, they agreed she could visit safe lands. The lands that the plague could not touch. Her mother, eyeless but bold, had promised to show her other places besides Tephra. She had said that there was an island, where part of it was always in winter. Evenstar doesn’t know what winter is, but mother said it was the opposite of the humid weather of Tephra, and that there was something called snow. 

    Not allowed to go anywhere alone, Ryatah had finally relented to her daughter’s pleas, and the pair made their way for Icicle Isle. 

    When they arrive, wet and shivering, the jade-green filly presses easily into her mother’s side as her warm tongue dries her off, until the fur is fluffy and soft once more. Ryatah presses a kiss to her little girl’s forehead, promising to wait for her right here, and then sends her off to explore. 

    Evenstar turns, prancing away on spindly legs that are still far too long, churning up snow as she does so. Her dark brown eyes are wide with wonder, curious what sort of creatures make their home here — she is used to the foxes and rabbits on the mainland, the deer and the coyotes. She isn’t sure what type of animals live in icy snowdrifts. 

    Movement in her peripheral catches her eye, a glimmer of gold, and immediately she looks. What she sees instantly piques her interest — a small colt, around her age. He is painted and gilded, with glorious wings, but with a head unlike any she has ever seen.

    She starts to move towards him, but she stops short. Doubt begins to creep into her veins, poisoning her mind and making her legs go numb. But he is so pretty, the way his gold shines in the cold sun, and fighting her fear, she walks towards him. ”Hi,” Her voice is so soft, like a warm breeze, and she isn’t even sure if the colt will look at her. She is not as fantastic as he is, though she is pretty in her own way. Her body is a brilliant jade green, with a vibrantly white mane and tail and a four-point star — like the first one to shine in the sky as evening fell — on her small forehead. She is a perfect blend of her parents, green and white, and quiet and sweet, the way her mother had been before the world ruined her. But she is not as unique as the colt before her, and she doesn’t think she will be enough. 

    ”You’re really pretty,” She says with a shy sincerity, not realizing that boys preferred adjectives like “handsome”. He is pretty like a sunrise, or a clear, starry night — the only things that she knows to compare him to.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    @[Gilt]
    Reply
    #2

    you should see me in a crown; your silence is my favorite sound


    He was gnawing on the bone of some poor snow creature that had had the ill fortune of catching his eye and being too slow. Hunting was not exactly easy for a child, and he had been genuinely surprised when he caught the furry thing. It didn't stop him from taking his fill for what it offered him; a small snack between nursing from his spotted woman while Father was away seeing to things that flightless dragonlings couldn't tag along for.

    Irritating.
    He would be allowed to join him one day.

    The bone dropped without regard in boredom, his sigh getting lost in the clack of solid bone against the other bits of bone between his legs. He was perched on his belly like a lounging lion, divulging openly on his little feast and quite proud of it. Children couldn't really hunt so well, didn't he mention. But he'd managed because he was powerful like his father, clever and intelligent and quick. It just didn't feel as good without anyone to boast to and preen for. Especially his dad.

    He supposed he had a family, sort of. There were two others that fed from his woman. His other treasures. He was an outsider, though, and so strange-looking possibly. Not like them. They seemed to prefer each other's company more, which made sense, even to a lonely dragonling. It was frustrating that he even had the capacity to feel excluded, as if they mattered to him, as if he cared that they liked him. He didn't. This was probably just boredom. That was all.

    A vibrant flash caught his eye just like the snow-creature had, and his head swiveled to it, snout lifting with a throaty whuffle-huff as he pulled her scent to him as best he could. So green with stark white hair and a bright star on her forehead. She stopped suddenly and watched him, further piquing his interest and attracting the predator in him. Would she run now? He would chase. He would love it. He could catch her, probably. Okay, run.

    But she didn't. She blushed and walked closer.

    "Hi," she said to him, holding his blue-green eyes with a bashful softness. "You're really pretty." He huffed again and let his gaze slide off to the side a little, shifting in place enough to accidentally shuffle his trophy of bones in a soft clink. She formed the words so easily like everyone else when it was such a struggle for him. He had to make such an effort. Why did they never speak his language to him? Why must he learn theirs when it didn't fit in his mouth or sit right in his chest? So he said nothing.

    He dropped his nose to his pile, nudging them gently and counting them to himself. They had made a noise and likely drew her attention. She would want a piece of his prize now, and he wasn't going to share. He caught this himself, these were his. So he counted them possessively, leaving a hot breath on each one because they were his and he could do that. Then he glared up at her. They were his, she couldn't have them. Not even that little one there. He nosed it closer to the center of the pile.

    Then he sighed with a deep breath. Lonely was miserable and perhaps she would stay if he shared. He eyed them speculatively, hating the idea completely. Well, she still couldn't have that little one, no matter how little it was. Maybe this knobby one instead, the one with the tricky bite that had nearly cut the inside of his mouth open. It wasn't the loveliest either, but she was just an Other so she'd not likely be smart enough to notice. He sighed again. This was stupid.

    Fine. She could look at it. For a time.
    She couldn't keep it, though.

    He snorted in irritation at himself, peering up at her with webbed wings shuffling in agitation. The bone clicked softly in his mouth, a soft growl speaking his displeasure at sharing as he craned his neck and tossed it at her feet. He snorted, gave her a sharp nod. There. See? He could be like an Other too sort of. This is what they did, no? Now she would stay with him. She could be his next treasure. His spotted woman might like her.

    Gilt




             the gilded stormdragon
    Reply
    #3

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    When he swivels his unique head to sharply stare at her, she feels as though she is being scolded. Timidly, she withdraws a step, shrinking back inside herself and diverting her eyes towards the ground for a moment. There is an apology that turns to ash on her tongue, not able to utter it aloud, and she thinks that maybe he wouldn’t care for it anyway. But even still, she does not leave, watching him curiously as he counts his treasure of bones, and she tries to not imagine how cute those bones had probably been when they were covered in fur. She liked chasing the woodland creatures too – but as a harmless game. Despite being so young, she can see that he is not like her; she remembers her mother explaining that the coyotes, foxes, and wolves had to eat, too, and she thinks he must be the same.

    It doesn’t occur to her that he could maybe collect her bones the way he has these ones.

    She does not mind the silence that stretches between them, observing him quietly as he scowls at her from his position on the ground, clearly protecting what was his. She doesn’t know how to tell him that she doesn’t want to take them away from him. Clearing her throat a little, her soft voice interrupts the air between them as she offers in her sweet, lilting tones, ”I’m Evenstar." Her eyes rove across his frame, his reptilian head and dragon wings, the scales and the shimmering gold. She was so plain compared to him, even with her jade-green coat and stark white mane and tail. It made her self-conscious, but she was so enthralled by him that she can’t bring herself to leave.

    Wavering in the cold light, she blinks in surprise as a bone is tossed in her direction. She stares down at it in confusion, but she is careful to not let it show on her face. ”Oh,” Her small head lowers, cautiously nudging it with her tiny nose, before offering him a bright smile. ”It’s lovely. Thank you.” Is she suppose to chew on it the way he is? She doesn’t really want to do that, but she brushes her lips over it briefly in what she hopes is a show of appreciation. But her eyes are still on him, struggling to read the situation, one because she is so young, but also because the signals he is sending don’t make any sense. He seems irritated by her presence but he also shared his clearly coveted stash, so she supposes it’s alright to stay. ”What’s your name?”

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    @[Gilt]
    Reply
    #4

    you should see me in a crown; your silence is my favorite sound


    He liked the way she would submit to him, the way her eyes dropped and she almost appeared smaller somehow. Yes, good. She must have recognized him for more than a mere horse. He was glad of that. Perhaps some of them had rare intelligence after all. Or at least natural instinct. Hers may have been slightly faulty though, unless she was just brave, because she continued forward regardless.

    "I'm Evenstar," she gave to him just as her eyes started wandering over his features, his face and wings and glimmering gold. He couldn't help but to straighten proudly a little, pleased with her perusal and rewarding her with a flash of sunlight reflecting off his gilded tobiano. A secret part of him almost felt self-conscious to be created to look so different from her. But no, obviously that was a good thing. More beautiful, not less.

    He watched closely from where he was as she bent down to inspect his temporary gift, studying her as he tickled his lip over one of his bones absently. She made a small noise and nudged it with her little soft nose, then smiled at him. "It's lovely. Thank you." He grunted and let his blue-green eyes fall to his own treasures, satisfied with her acceptance of it and glad she didn't want more of them.

    "What's your name?"

    Oh, that again. The naming thing. A loud sigh dragged airily through his mouth and he lifted his head again, giving her a dubious look with bored eyes that clearly said not this again. He hadn't even been practicing his name as he probably should since this seemed to be their favorite thing to ask him. He supposed he couldn't blame them for being curious about what to call him. So he smacked his lips quietly and wetted his mouth, preparing to force his dragon mouth to shape words that didn't fit right, came so unnaturally and with so much effort.

    "Gghhh," he growled, aided by the gravel of annoyance. The last bit was the hardest, and he was nearly embarrassed at how difficult such a short little name was for him. Well, it wasn't his fault they insisted he speak their tongue. Embarrassment was more often led into irritation. He tried again anyway, swallowing the end of the growl, eyes glaring again.

    "Gghh-ilt!" he hissed the end sharply then snorted the tingling from his nose. And he damn well wouldn't be repeating it. He straightened and watched her expectantly, his eyes set hard in a stern little face. Now it was her turn, obviously. That was how this speech thing went, so he waited, only mildly curious what an emerald gem like her would be named. He doubted it would be one that he could speak, anyway.

    Gilt




             the gilded stormdragon
    Reply
    #5

    can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars,
    I could really use a wish right now;

    She still wavers somewhere between uncertainty and curiosity, watching the glimmering boy in front of her. There was something about him that terrified her, but not because of the outward differences in appearance — no, that part simply fascinated her. She couldn’t take her eyes away from his dragonly head and wings, and the way parts of him glittered like sun on water; it was why the first thing she had told him was how she found him pretty.

    No, his unique looks are not what intimidate her. It was the sharpness in his aquamarine eyes, the way they sometimes glared at her, and the air he had about him of just seeming to not care. However, this was also why she stayed, instead of letting her fear of rejection drive her away. She wanted him to like her. The little jade-colored filly was so enthralled by him that she wanted to seek some sort of acceptance, without irritating him, which so far, she seems to be failing at.

    It hadn’t occurred to her that he possibly had trouble speaking, that if his head and mouth were shaped differently than hers, then maybe his tongue would struggle to say the things that came so easily to her. But her patience is endless, even when he seemed irritated that she dared to even ask for his name. Something inherited from her mother seemed to be a thicker skin than many would expect from something as soft and fair as she, and it showed in the way her placid eyes never change, even as he growls and glares at her as he wrestles with the single syllable.

    His achievement is met with an amiable smile, and a quiet exhale as she repeats, ”Gilt,” back to him.”It suits you.” And again her gentle brown eyes are drawn back to his golden markings, though she is sure he already knows why he was given such a name.

    There is a moment of silence, but he is watching her, as though he is waiting for something. Blinking her long lashes, she finally realizes he hadn’t understood her name earlier. ”My name is Evenstar,” Aptly so, for the four-point star that sat centered on her forehead, vibrantly white against her pale green skin. ”But you can call me Max. My parents do.” It was a silly story, one that he probably didn’t care about, but she always had secretly liked that she had such a peculiar nickname – not something obvious, like Eve or Star.

    The quiet settles over her again, the jade-colored girl watching the dragon colt and his little stash of treasures, and she scuffs at the snow with a front hoof, accidentally sending a few clumps spraying towards him. Her eyes immediately widen in alarm, before backing away and sheepishly ducking her head and muttering apologetically, ”I’m sorry, we don’t have snow where I live, I didn’t know it would, um, do that.” He already seemed so agitated by her presence, and she bites her lower lip, her brow knit together in worry. She really wasn’t good at this making friends business.

    I'm praying that this stairway leads somewhere like Heaven's door,
    and when you get there don't look down

    evenstar


    @[Gilt]
    Reply




    Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)