the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - magnus - 01-15-2017
Eventually, he had gone to find Dahmer again.
It hadn’t taken much to find the behemoth; he had been making his presence known throughout the last few years, his activity a constant in Tephra, the land flourishing for his efforts. Magnus walked up near him and nodded. “Sylva first, I think.” It made sense—geographically speaking, at least. It was on the way to Pangea and was also most likely going to be a significantly friendlier visit. He figured it would be a good time for him to get a feel for how Dahmer reacted in diplomatic scenarios. A warm-up.
Then, with a nod, the two set out toward the border of Tephra, crossing the glowing streams of magma and then the thin, shallow watery borders. The conversation was not dull but the two did not talk much as they passed the common grounds, circling around the meadow and forest and then the field. It wasn't that Magnus did not enjoy Dahmer’s company; it was simply that the golden soldier had a lot on his mind, and he did not feel obligated to carry along shallow pleasantries. He had a feeling the other would understand.
When they had skirted Taiga, the last of Magnus’ personal visits, he noticed the landscape changing. The fog began to lift, helping to ease the chill of winter, and the trees began to shift—subtly at first and then drastically. Where the trees of Taiga were thick, huge, towering, the ground thick with pine needles, the trees here were smaller, closely clustered. Although they now stood mostly bare, their branches tangling and reaching outward, he had a feeling the leaves would be magnificent to look upon during the spring.
Coming to a stop, he motioned to Dahmer. There was no clear borders here and no clear protocol in this new and wild land of Beqanna, but he would do his best to observe the old standards of kingdom visits. If this was indeed a kingdom. So much had changed. Clearing his mind, Magnus lifted his head and let loose and low, throaty call to whoever was nearby, hoping to meet some of the residents at the very least.
out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll
@[Dahmer]
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Djinni - 01-15-2017
djinni
The well-guarded borders of the Old Beqanna are not enforced here in Sylva. There guard is still in its infancy, their diplomats nothing more than a band of horses that may or may not be interested in politics at all. The forest of Sylva is a quiet and peaceful place, sheltered from bitter winds of winter by the ever-red canopy of leaves overhead. It is still cold though, and grullo Djinni wears a shaggy winter coat, but the piles of snow that had broken through the canopy (simply because they were too heavy to hold any longer) are few and far between.
She rather misses the crunch of snow beneath her hooves, and the shatter of frozen saltwater as it crashes against the shore.
Djinni shakes her head and the rings in her ears jingle softly, drowning out the sound of the sea. They do not, however, mute the sound of someone calling from farther out in the woods, and Djinni falls still as she pinpoints the direction of the sound. She follows it, slipping through the trees. There is no path here, not yet, though she supposes that in a few dozen years the thoroughfares will be as deeply ingrained as the paths between kingdoms in Old Beqanna.
There are two stallions, a black and a buckskin, and Djinni approaches them with an easy smile.
“Hello gentlemen. Welcome to Sylva.” She nods in greeting, everything about the tobiano mare the very picture of friendliness. “I’m Djinni.”
current appearance: slim build smoky grullo minimal tobiano sea green eyes
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Dahmer - 01-18-2017
take my head & kick it in break some bread for all my sins
Dahmer gifts Magnus with a quick nod as he turns to follow the King of Tephra, their destination Sylva. He falls into step comfortably beside the buckskin stallion, and they are swiftly off. Their occasional conversation is familiar and easy, with silences that are just the same, and it affords Dahmer time to fully appreciate the lands they pass through.
The Field was, perhaps, a bit too familiar to the black stallion, who much preferred spending his time in Tephra and not in the mingle lands. He would always continue his tasks without complaint, however, for he would do what needed to be done to keep their home bustling.
When they pass Taiga and its massive redwoods, the black beast's thoughts drift to Lucrezia. He had enjoyed her company on his tour of Reagan and Ruan's territory, and had since used every excuse he could muster to spend more time with the peafowl mare. Shamelessly.
They are welcomed by Sylva's more dense forest, and it isn't much longer before Dahmer pulls himself to a halt beside Magnus. The King of Tephra issues his call to the residents of Sylva, and Dahmer turns his blue eyes to their surroundings so that he may survey them while they wait.
Little sunlight finds the forest floor, which is noticed by the stallion only after a shiver runs up his spine. Tephra had removed any tolerance he may have had to the cold, and today, he is paying for it.
Approaching hoof beats announce the arrival of another equine, Dahmer's blue eyes turning curiously towards the sound. His lets a warm grin settle upon his lips to match the warm expression of the approaching smoky grullo mare. Her voice is soft and welcoming, just as Lucrezia's had been on his first day in Tephra. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Djinni. My name is Dahmer," he pauses and turns his gaze towards Magnus, so that his liege may introduce himself. The black beast couldn't bring himself to take the lead when accompanied by his home's ruler.
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - magnus - 01-22-2017
It was a strange sensation to find himself back in these habits and patterns, making his way through other kingdoms, other lands, with diplomacy on his tongue. It brought him back to the old world, to the way that it used to be; he could feel it under his skin, that familiarity so close and yet so far. If he closed his eyes, he could very well be on his way to the Dale or to the Falls, although neither kingdom carried such a thick forest as this one. In truth, the only thing that had come close had been the pines of the Chamber.
But that was neither here nor there, and he shook his head to rid himself of the memory.
He focused just as the mare approach, studying her slim build, the patches of smoke and ice that adorned her body, although perhaps not as apparent as the gold that rung around her ankles. What an odd, beautiful creature. His smile grew, charming as ever, relaxed in her presence. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Djinni,” her name sounded foreign, and he tested the syllables, carving them into his memory.
Magnus gave his attention to Dahmer as he introduced himself and then turned his gold-flecked gaze to the mare, giving her his full attention. “And my name is Magnus. We come from Tephra.” He motioned over his shoulder to the area from which they had come. “Most people simply know us for the volcano.” It was hard to miss, the way that it jutted upward and watched over the entire land, looking out for them. “We simply came to visit and learn more about the lands around us. To better understand our neighbors.”
It did him no good as a leader if he didn’t understand what surrounded them.
out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Karaugh - 01-24-2017
Ebony daggers carried her easily across the shaded terrain of Sylva. Her hues faded nicely into the shadows the thick canopy casted upon the land. She found the slight chill satisfying in a way. A chatter was heard upon the breeze so she halted. Non familiar tones sparked her interests as she listened silently. Her nares drew in the scents brought on the same breeze. Only one was distantly familiar. Devilish grin curled her lips. The woman's scent lingered in the realm as did it on one equine in particular. Djinni She spoke introducing herself to the others. A sweet dainty voice was easily picked out from the male's that followed... Dahmer and Magnus...Introductions. Must be a formal meeting of kingdoms. Being proclaimed a Diplomat of sorts she took it upon herself to merit an invitation...
Movement smooth she neared quickly, quietly. Grin prevalent as she neared slowing to a non-chalant walk. Her gaze falling upon the Queen of Sylva. Whom she had not had the pleasure of formally meeting yet. Pulling forward to form the fourth corner of the gathering. She stood beside her, crown nodded slightly then turned to the two who traveled here. Introductions had been given so hers was given as well,
Karaugh. Diplomat of Sylva. Magnus and Dahmer of Tephra is it?... Welcome. She looked to Magnus studying his expression and position. She found it unthreatening so she continued with a slight nod, How is my Father, Nymphentamine? Well I hope. Tell him I will visit soon with his grandson. Her attention had shifted to Dahmer. His icey blue gaze was enticing, tempting of sorts. Grin a tad more devilish as thoughts churned within her mind. She resisted the temptation and stood still. Looking back to Djinni with a different sort of spark in her deep dark orb...
Karaugh
illicit daughter of nymphetamine and killgore
HTML by Call
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Djinni - 01-24-2017
djinni
She meets Dahmer's blue gaze with her easy smile, noting the way that he defers to Magnus for talk beyond simple introductions. The buckskin stallion is of a higher rank, she assumes, but it doesn't lessen her opinion of the black stallion as she replies that: "The pleasure is mine, gentlemen" to them both The words are formalities - nothing that she has not said a dozen times - but she means them. Djinni suspects that these two strangers are from another of Beqanna's established lands, and Magnus confirms it.
The grullo mare smiles when the buckskin male mentions the volcano. "I know a mare from Tephra," she tells them, "Do you know Lucrezia?" Djinni is rather fond of the champagne mare. The majority of that goodwill is borne from their shared former homeland, but she'd rather enjoyed the frank nature of the other female, and she imagines that other residents of Tephra must be of at least equal candor.
Her attention is drawn away from the two stallions by the arrival of another mare. This one is less of a stranger than the two Tephrans, but Djinni has not yet met Stillwater's newest amusement. It seems that he's given her a position, and Djinni doesn't let her lack of awareness of Karaugh's title show on her face. She listens politely, her bright smile in place as the bay mare asks after her father. It seems that the ties between these new lands are no less complex than they were in the kingdoms of Old Beqanna.
She watches, curious, as Karaugh takes in the measure of the two stallions. It seems that Stillwater could have done worse in his selection, though it remains to be seen how far Karaugh looks beneath the surface. She returns the bay mare's smile with a friendly grin. She is the very picture of an open book, the small sweet queen who just happens to change color every now and then. There is nothing deeper than that, and she turns politely back to Dahmer and Magnus after a moment.
"Well, this is the Forest of Sylva," she says, gesturing to the land around them with her dark muzzle. "Our trees stay autumn red year round, which keeps the worst of the weather away; I imagine your volcano keeps you warm as well?" Lucrezia had said as much, but she is still curious. "Queen Marlyn left us last autumn, and Stillwater and I have been leading the kingdom since." Diplomacy is a bit of give and take, and there are no secrets in what she says.
current appearance: slim build smoky grullo minimal tobiano sea green eyes
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Dahmer - 01-28-2017
take my head & kick it in break some bread for all my sins
Dahmer happily steps aside for his buckskin King to complete their introductions. There had been a time that the black beast would have asserted himself more aggressively, taking charge of their diplomatic rendezvous, but that was back on Azza, when his mother's fire had still blazed strong in his chest.
It is still in there, somewhere. But climbing to a throne on a pile of bodies was no longer of interest to him.
He and Magnus are received well by the almost-whimsical grullo lady, and Lucrezia's name falls from her lips nonchalantly. Dahmer shifts slightly and forces his ears to continue to flutter lazily instead of standing at attention as they'd like to do. His smile remains as he offers the green-eyed Djinni a nod of his thoroughbred head, "Lucrezia is a good friend," a chuckle falls from his maw, "though it's not often you hear the opposite."
He's curious where Djinni had met Lucrezia, the question sitting on his tongue but never coming to fruition as they are joined by a mischievous-looking bay, whose lips were curled into Dahmer's favorite expression: the lopsided grin. She smells of a vaguely familiar stallion, but that doesn't keep the black beast from returning her smirk and twisting his ears in her direction.
"Karaugh," he tips his dark head to the diplomat, "it is a pleasure." He fades into silence as the dark bay speaks to Magnus about her father, and Dahmer makes a special note to ask his King later on about Nymphetamine.
As Djinni takes it upon herself to move their conversation forward, Dahmer's blue eyes catch the way Karaugh's devilish gaze lingers on him for a few extra moments. His lips twitch into a smirk and he gives the dark mare a playful wink before returning his gaze to Djinni, who had finished describing the seasons -- season, actually -- to he and Magnus. "Magnus hadn't been able to convince me to join Tephra until he mentioned the volcano," he jokes warmly as he turns his gaze back to Karaugh, "I've heard of Stillwater, but have not had the chance to meet him yet."
+ tag magnus, djinni, karaugh + notes so sorry that this is literally all over the place ♥
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - magnus - 01-30-2017
The proceedings went as smoothly as one would assume they would, each falling into their respective roles, each picking up the familiar lines of diplomacy—weighing them in their hands and finding them adequate. Magnus remained mostly quiet, his gold-flecked eyes trained on Djinni, although his ink-dipped ear did flick toward Dahmer every once in a while, staying tuned to his companion as he he was taught.
When the other mare joined the group, he swung his handsome head in her direction, studying her silently for a moment before giving a roguish grin, one corner of his mouth rising into a lopsided smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Karaugh.” At the mention of her father, he chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “Your father is an enigma.” A polite way of phrasing it. Magnus and Nymphetamine had a…complicated past. They had started as comrades, until Nymphetamine had double-crossed him and his kingdom to serve the Chamber. The other stallion had apologized for the incident, but Magnus still kept an eye on him, never quite trusting the other. “He is doing well enough. I will pass along your impending visit.”
When Djinni mentioned Lucrezia, his smile widened once more. “Indeed. Lucrezia is a good friend.” A great diplomat too, but that wasn’t why he prized the peacock-feathered mare. She was a kind and smart and loyal; not traits that were easy to come by in the modern world. He glanced around as she talked about the land, mentioning a stallion as co-ruler although her did not appear. “It is quite beautiful here,” he said honestly, enjoying the foliage that surrounded them. “Tephra is indeed warm. It takes a bit to get used to sulphur, but once you overcome its bite, the land is fertile and in constant growth. I don’t think I have seen such greenery since I left the jungle.” Not even in the Gates, where spring bloomed eternal.
“You will have to come visit us one day. I have a feeling you will like it.”
out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Karaugh - 01-31-2017
Proceedings went as they should. How are you... Good you... Good... Great... Grand... She snickered slightly as her thoughts entertained her. Studying the features of the golden stallion. Strong, smart, witty. All good characteristics of a ruler. She simply smiled at his remarks towards her Father. Attention then shifting back to his ebony companion. Meeting his gaze upon her. Smile curled into a grin. Quickly she thought of a way to escape the meeting... A tour... Yes that would do. As quickly as Magnus finished his thoughts she spoke,
Dahmer, would you care for a tour....of Sylva? Sly wink cast his way. She motioned to the North behind him though it didn't really matter. Not much besides trees were to be seen in any direction. Her gaze never straying from his she stepped forward. Almost brushing him as she passed. Her destination, the shadows. It was his choice to follow...
Karaugh
illicit daughter of nymphetamine and killgore
HTML by Call
OOC: If you choose to follow start a new thread
RE: the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any - Djinni - 01-31-2017
djinni
When Dahmer says that Lucrezia is a friend, Djinni grins; she is not at all surprised. The grullo mare nods in agreement with the black stallion’s assessment of their mutual acquaintance. Magnus seems to have the same high opinion of the champagne mare; it’s a bit more difficult to ascertain the buckskin’s feelings about the father that Karaugh mentions. Curious, she thinks, but not worth commenting on.
She does wonder whether Dahmer was especially fond of volcanoes or simply of warmth, but the fact that he has heard of Stillwater is more intriguing. She’d intended to leave the black stallion in Sylva while she returned to…whatever it is she does. Instead she’d stayed, and while she’s still the one keeping him here, some part of her does think that he must like it here too. “He tends to keep to his caves,” she replies, “Come back when it’s dark and you’re more likely to find him.” Her tone is affectionate when she speaks of her consort but it contains none of the innuendo flying between Karaugh and Dahmer as the bay mare suggests a private tour of the realm.
Djinni watches that interaction with a somewhat raised brow, but looks back to Magnus with a good-natured grin as their companions depart. He’d mentioned the Jungle before, and she is still curious. “Perhaps the sisterhood should have gone to Tephra instead of the coast then,” she says with a smile, “Though I do think Nerine is lovely as well. Have you made it there yet?” Djinni has not yet been to Tephra, Taiga, or Pangea, but she has clearly visited (at the very least) Nerine. “And while we’re discussing new lands; who is ruling Tephra? Or have you all chosen some other sort of system?” There are councils, she knows, but she is not sure which lands have chosen to elect a traditional monarchy rather than venture down the novel democratic path.
current appearance: natural build - slim smokey grullo tobiano green eyes
