just throw it back, for one more night; birth, any

[Eld]

I had been feeling the surge all morning. My feathered limbs would not settle and I continued to walk, trying to walking off the burdensome feeling. For hours I was unsettled, walking, stopping, trying to graze at the spring shoots underfoot. Nothing, nothing made this any easier. I was far too large to find a suitable place in the shadowy trees. And part of me, slithers of fear knitted inside of me, didn’t want me to hide in the darkness. I wanted this to be safe, to be as secure as it could possible be. But oh, this was so new to me, the feelings rumbling inside of my stomach, the tenderness of my loins. My strawberry form waded through the spring grasses, they bent and bowed beneath my heavy feet as I powered onward, finding a spot by the falls. A little rocky area where the grasses melted against stone. I collapsed there, my head resting against the harsh, cool stone. My body did not feel the quiver of the icy winds. It was slick with patchy sweat. My flanks heaved, trails of perspiration slipping down my barrel, to the hinds of my legs. I shifted, uncomfortably so, kicking out a back leg at an unseen surge of pain. It felt like something was to explode from me, and that thought made my ears pin tightly against my skull, my nostrils flare and eyes widen white. Please, please don’t explode into the world like a tornado. I was not sure how much of that I could take. Even carrying this weight around was far more troublesome than I had thought. And I already had issues with lumbering myself to and fro. My thoughts carried me back to watching my mother, my older sister. they had given birth roughly the same time. It had been an early morning affair, the sun just peeking out over the horizon. It had been beautiful, a quaint moment that was worth more than a million words. You could never describe the feeling of watching a newborn struggle to find it’s little legs, or open it’s new eyes tot he colourful world outside. But I would soon, again. This time it would not be a brother, a nephew, it was my own flesh and blood. A creation of both Texas and myself. I knew he would be busy, advisors, they normally were. But part of me wanted him him. Some witty remark he would give to ease the tension that wrought my frame. that tightened every muscle, right to my cheekbones. I clenched my jaw, not wanting to disturb, but the surge of pain that torrented through me had willed it. I called for him, a sharp cry, and even then I let a low whicker, apologising for such a ruckus. Something shifted, moving through me towards the exit. I forced my feathered hooves into the soft dirt, churning up the clumps of new grass, striking at the grey rock. I willed it to stop, but the passenger wanted out and in moments, the pain was over and I lay spent, quivering with exhaustion and heaving breaths that felt like a hundred knives had penetrated my lungs. I turned an eye, but dare to move my head for now. I must have done something wrong, I always did. I was too frightened to look at the bundle of dark navy that had slipped free and was strewn across the ground. Was it alright? was it even alive? I squinted my eyes closed, not wanting to see if it had been a problem, if it’s little heart was beating or not. When I heard a little bleat, hear the sound of tiny hooves scraping and slipping against the stone, I turned my head and watched as the colt fell back to his knees and pressed himself close to me. The feeling of warmth, as though the sun had shone right out from inside of me, it washed over my body, my heart, my soul. I extended my nose, tired eyes finding the child. ’Hello there, little one.’ E L D - i'm a wishful thinker with the best intentions - acolyte of the falls

[Texas]

Texas’s ability to get away with being a poor parent has been, for the most part, a lucky coincidence. Either the mothers of his offspring have ben exceptional enough to make up for his absence or he’s just been absent entirely. He has assured himself that even if their mothers aren’t perfect, the kids will have inherited enough of his genetics to be able to make it anyway. Hadn’t he survived being abandoned as a child? He’s turned out just fine. Brennen has proven that such skills are inheritable, and Texas sleeps soundly at night without worry about the welfare of his descendants.

This year, of course, is different.

He’s never before had the pleasure (misfortune?) of having a child with a kingdom mate. There had been Believe and Prague, of course, but they were his lovers as well as his co-rulers, and the situation with Eld is not quite the same. The roan mare is nice enough, that’s for sure, but Texas feels no special affection for her. She is affable enough to laugh off his somewhat coarse personality and he doesn’t mind her presence in the Falls; that is as much as he’s willing to admit.

She will be giving birth soon, he knows, but does not at all expect to hear her call for him. He’s never seen a single birth, not even with his eighty plus children. He has no idea what she expects from him, and for that reason he is somewhat slow to respond. The Falls is not a large kingdom, but he takes no sortcuts, and so arrives as Eld is greeting the child for the first time.

It’s a boy – Texas has always liked boys, if only because they will never become Amazons. He is roan, like his mother, but darker. He is much too small for Texas to see any of himself in the boy, but since he does know the boy is his, he smiles proudly nonetheless. “Congratulations,” he says with a wry grin, taking his gaze from son to mother, “Well, Congratulations to us both, I suppose, but you did most of the work.”


(ooc: I AM SO SLOW AT POSTING AND I AM SORRY D: D: D:)

[Eld]

i'm a wishful thinker with the best intentions

Burnt oranges and crimsons darkened to a rich scarlet and murky brown with sweat. My body was spent, spread to the furthest reaches of exhaustion and then pushed even further. I could feel my muscles twang beneath my flesh, coiling painfully into one another. My barrel heaving, having lost it's life within, now a bulbous pit of emptiness. I lay my head upon the child's forehead, looking at his mismatched eyes and his blue roan pelt. There is a spark in my eye that lightens at the mere sight of what has been created. My ear swivels and I catch the sound of footfalls; alert, I raise my head to find it Texas. He had heard my call and had answered. That, that surprised me. But I did not allow it to show on my face. 'A son. Texas. You gave me a son.' there is almost a sense of desperation in my voice, a gratitude that I am sure I could never repay. Emerald eyes turn up to the greying steed, lips tweaking into a smile. 

'Thank you.' I say, my voice a dainty lilt, such a strange difference from my vast body. A small quiver of a voice. I gather myself, knees knocking, myriad of feathers, like nets to pieces of twig and leaves. My red bodice raises and upon weary hooves, I settle, watching as the colt gathers his feet with surprisingly far more grace than myself. I reach for his hide and gently place my muzzle upon his navy coat, lipping at his tufts of mane that stick it out in errant quiffs. 'Akos.' I christen him, looking back to Texas with a sliver of a smile. Worn eyes meeting his. 'Well, it takes two to make a life. I suppose this is not a new experience for you?' I'm earnest, eyes searching him. I was sure it wasn't. He was not spring colt, the distinguished grey in his face showed as much. I have my heart worn quite bright on my sleeve, and am thankful I try not to attach myself too much. There is a mutual respect, a kinship between us, and something else. We had shared something one night, and it resulted in the birth of life. It had meant nothing, but everything at the same time. For me, for me perhaps. He had given me a gift, something to cherish. 'This is er, rather new for me.' I admit, struggling to come to terms with the blue colt had come from within me. The little lad I had told tales to at night, touched within my heaving barrel. He was now very much living and breathing flesh, and I could not quite comprehend that.

Akos manoeuvred himself to my hindquarters, bumping his nose against my hock, my cannon bones before finding where nature intended. I shifted uncomfortably at first, but instincts took us both, and I urned my nose and gently touched his hide. Still slick with life, patchy in places. 'How are you, Texas?' I decide then, to shift the subject, as the young colt suckled, I turned my gaze to the Advisor, emerald eyes twinkling a little. It seemed only right to converse, to talk of light things when one was so tired. 

Eld;
acolyte of the falls

OOC: Don't worry love! Excuse this icky post. 

[Texas]

“Not new for me,” He replies, knowing that there are a few three-year olds running around in Beqanna, “But my first in a while, though.” He adds, glancing one more time at the colt before settling his attention on Eld.

There are others – plenty of them – but none he has seen in a very long time. Great-great-grandchildren he sees far more often, but they are strangers to him, sharing his genes but lacking anything more substantial from the grey-haired stallion. Most of the monarchs currently ruling Beqanna can trace their lineage back to him (some of them several times, but Texas can’t be held accountable for their incestual shenanigans), but he is long past caring about familial ties.

He’ll care about this one (at least in appearances), little Akos nursing from his mother. There are no excuses this time, but he’s sure to come up with at least a few. For now though, not called to babysit or do anything that involves genuine responsibility, Texas is happy to stay and chat.

He has no doubt that Eld will be an excellent mother. She seems to have all the qualities that his own damn had lacked, and that in itself is reassuring enough for Texas. Even if she does run off with the little chestnut pony that’s been tailing her lately, he’s no doubt that she’d take Akos with her. “You’ll do fine.” He tells her, “And Shatter Me has a foal this spring too – perhaps the foals can play and you two can talk about…whatever it is that mothers talk about.” Grass? How to stop the little devils from biting? Texas has no idea.

“I’m doing fine,” He replies, knowing that it’s not a very in depth answer, but that it is at least an accurate one. His immortality is coming back (good) but Prague has returned as well (bad), leaving him decidedly neutral. Fortunately, that’s rather his customary place and he minds not at all. “And you? Could’nt help but notice you seem to have a new…friend.” He’s smiling, but there’s something teasing about it. The bay stallion is aware of Chezter’s adoration of the mother of his child and finds it endlessly amusing, not least of all because it clearly seems to fluster Eld.

[Eld]

'Shatter Me must know much more about motherhood than I. I shall pick her brain.' I laugh lightly, the sound gentle, soft. Feathered ears swivel atop my crown, bowing and bending, catching the spring time call of the larks and their newborns above. spring was a verdant time, full of life, new and old. Like a never-ending cycle. I listened quietly, for a moment, taking in the gush of the falls, the clamour of the rapids below. The gentle song on the breeze of happy-go-lucky birds. This place, it truly was a fairytale. Opening my eyes (I had not known they had closed) I turned my age back to the bay steed.

'You seem to have more pep in your step.' I chide, perhaps, a little banter. It was strange that I could think of having friends, think of being comfortable. But I am, I was. The smile on my lips soon turns downward and the mention of Chezter -- he was something I did not quite know what to do with. Yet I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it was far too much, far too soon.

'Friend? I wish he were interested in just being such. I don't really know quite what to do. I don't want to hurt his feelings, but he said some things that I was not ready for.' my eyes thens settle back upon the blue roan colt by my hind-end, he had finished his feed and was deciding, now was the perfect time to use these new stilt like appendages of his. All over the place, and hardly going in a forward direction, he decided it was best to flop down and bask in the spring sun.

'You've seen many years Texas. Oh, I.. that didn't sound as nice as intended!' I shook my head, ribbons of red mane falling over my eyes, shielding the embarrassment that flushed them. 'I mean to say, you have more experience of life than I. How do I.. how do I let someone down gently? I'm not quite ready for what he wants, I.. I'm not even sure I would want, what he wants, with him.' I am all clumsy words, they fall from my lips like obscure puzzle pieces. I try and be as diplomatic as possible, but how else would one say that they did not return the love, that had jumped on them? The love that, wasn't even understandable.

'Others can be so... frustratingly hard work.' I blow a snort, doing so causes the long ribbons of my forelock to sashay against my breath. At least I knew where I stood with Texas. He was wiser, an errant gentleman if there were one. I admired him in a way one would admire an older gentleman with a curious grin. He also gave me the dear child, and for that I was truly thankful, and awash with a glow of pride.

[Texas]

and I discovered that my castles stand

upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

Texas only knows of Tyrna; if Shatter Me has had other children before the weanling that’s tagging at her heels now he’s never bothered to find out. He does assume that the battered looking stallion that has recently joined the kingdom is the same Dalean prince that was Tyrna’s father and therefore that the older Tyrna and the colt were full siblings despite the gaps in their ages. So few of Texas’ children know the names of their siblings, let alone grew up with them. There are a few exceptions, times when Texas had truly tried to be the man that the women who loved him wanted him to be.

He had always failed in the end, of course – there is a reason that he is old and alone.

He hadn’t meant the quip about Chezter unkindly and is glad that Eld hadn’t interpreted it that way. What he didn’t expect was the explanation that followed, with Eld saying the F word (feelings) aloud and then asking for advice on matters of the heart. If there were anyone less suited to giving an opinion on the matter, Eld would have had a hard time finding them. Texas has had more affairs than he has hairs in his tail – most of them while single but more than a few while he was supposedly monogamous.

He’s never in his life let anyone down; he simply takes what they give him and then often asks for more while never giving anything in exchange.

He briefly considers lying, or perhaps just repeating what he’s heard other say, or even just telling her that whatever she decides to do is the best route. Instead he simple just says: “No idea.” He rolls his brown shoulders in an equine semblance of a shrug, knowing well that he’s given a sadly short response to a rather lengthy question. “I don’t have a lot of experience being gentle. Just tell him you’re not interested. If he doesn’t get the picture, I’ll persuade him.”

texas