"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
07-28-2019, 01:09 PM (This post was last modified: 07-28-2019, 02:20 PM by Eva.)
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
The last few months, after meeting the gold and white flecked creature, had changed everything for her. Those moments of emotions bursting with desire had been filled with exhilaration. It was something forbidden almost, a secret part of life she never knew truly existed until she had met Aodhan. She never had any idea that was the way it truly felt. Sure, she knew how babies were born, but the way Adria had told her had not compared to that moment she shared with Aodhan.
Her belly swelled quickly after Aodhan had left Ischia. A part of her missed the shifter. She longed to feel those gentle touches and moments again. But the nereid simply fell back into the pattern of her daily habits living on the tropical island.
Being pregnant had given her more of a reason to be lazy. She spent most of her days lounging around the island and spending time with her island family. Carrying life within her felt strange and foreign, but each day she loved the little creature that grew within her.
Spring had finally come—she knew the day would come anytime she would give birth. It wasn’t until the late spring now that her body finally told her today was the day. Eva naturally finds her way to a quiet space on the shore of the island, far from where others rarely venture to. The waves of the ocean lap over to where she finds a comfortable spot among a patch of wet seaweed and other sea plants that provide a comfortable spot for her.
Eva laid gently down on the shore, feeling the laboring pain more each time the contractions came. It was a strange pain, something she never felt before, but she found herself completely relaxing. She allowed nature to take over. Her face contorted as the contractions became quicker and her eyes closed once the birthing began.
Her sides rippled with pain as every ounce of her strength focused on giving birth. The child was eager to find its way into the world as it only took a few pushes. Eva quickly found herself eager to meet her first child—a boy! “My little Aeolus,” a smile quickly lifted her purple lips up as she was memorized by his sunset color coat with gold flecked markings. Scales covered his coat naturally where he the waves of the ocean touched him. A nereid, she thinks happily.
The boy quickly finds himself fluttering about in the swallow water. Naturally the boy picked up swimming easily, but Eva encouraged him with soft nudges. The boy smiles back, suddenly revealing sharp teeth where once normal teeth had been. Her features quickly turn into confusion, uncertain of exactly what sea creature he could be.
The moon is never the same twice, and so the same could be said for youth. Without meaning to, Eva had grown up and grown just as beautiful. Mesmerizing really, now that any hints of awkward growth were gone. The Dame had met her adopted daughter out to sea, brought her home to Ischia where their kind belonged. Gave her shelter and love. Now the days of innocence have gone. Eva was pregnant.
Spying her move through the lower valley of jungle, Adria left the remote trail she’d been traveling on and slipped on velvet hooves to follow behind. It was unlike Adria to scuttle or scurry, which is what her snooping felt like, but above all her concern for Eva’s safety… the foal’s safety as well…
It felt even more perverse not to stoop into sleuthing.
Besides, when she finally makes her way through the tangle of overgrown paths and onto the distant shore where Eva rests, the most exciting part is over. The elder Nereid slips a pomegranate-bright nose through two folded leaves and peeps a very colorful colt. Aeolus, she hears Eva name him. At the sound of her first grandchild Adria smiles; it’s suddenly necessary for her to bite her tongue and keep from breaking through the tropical green fronds.
She doesn’t want to startle Eva or the boy, especially during such an important bonding moment. Instead she watches and waits, quiet as a mouse and hidden while the two make their way into the ocean. They seem so peaceful there, it makes her suddenly want to preserve it somehow - make this moment last into eternity. She sighs and waits another second before pushing a foreleg out onto the sand.
“Kontan pou ou,” She blessed them both as she stepped out, trailing a mane showered with twigs and stray flowers. This greeting Eva knew well: it was used for celebration. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.” Adria apologized, joining her daughter side to side in the rolling waves. She reached for Eva’s shoulder, eager to stroke the familiar curve of satin purple skin. “Do you feel alright?”
The golden-eyed mare looked for a moment at Eva’s face, then turned to glance at the leggy boy. “Aeolus,” Adria breathed proudly, “looks strong.”
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
Eva muddles over a thousand different thoughts at the discovery of Aeolus being something different than a nereid. Uncertainty continues remain on her feature, hardening the soft parts of her purple delicate face. Her orange-gold eyes gleam with doubt as troubles of parenting cling to her heart and fill her mind with worry.
“Kontan pou ou,” she hears from a familiar voice. The voice of her adopted-mother breaks her silence. Quickly, her thoughts of doubt fade. The strain of uncertainty diminishes from her features, replaced with happiness. Eva turns her gaze away from her newly born foal to the acquainted vermillion sand ombre mare as she makes her way across the sandy shore.
“@[Adria],” she says softly, a deep happiness fills her greeting. The appearance of Adria had been perfect timing. She needed her mother more than ever in this moment. “You came just I time,” she states softly, returning a warm gesture to Adria.
Her warm expression fades at the question of what she was feeling. Eva remains silent for a long moment, watching Adria as she glances to Aeolus. “He is strong, indeed,” She says with whatever happiness she can muster as doubt begins to darken her thoughts once again. “I am okay though. The birthing was easy, thankfully.” She pauses for a moment before looking to the purple colt who swims with ease in the swallow waters.
“I am worried for him though,” Eva lowers her voice, allowing for words to only be heard between them. “He is not what I expected.” Not a nereid, but a monster, her heart beats faster at the thought of her son being a predator.
If there’d been doubt about her relationship with @[Eva] and how it was holding up before, now that doubt was washed clean away. Adria’s heart-daughter looked relieved to see her mother here, despite having just given birth to a colt that was now powering through the ocean waves as if they’d been made for him and not the other way around. Appearances being what they were, Eva confirmed that his arrival had been an easy enough ordeal so her mother Adria relaxed deeper into their embrace. She lifted, then wound her pink neck over her daughter’s withers before sighing and dropping her chin to observe Aeolus lazily.
“I agree that he is… different.” The elder mare hummed thoughtfully, “But I see no cause for concern. Not yet, anyways.” She reassured Eva tenderly, making as if to pull the girl closer to her chest the same, familiar way she’d comforted her always. Had Adria not given birth to Luath the season before this one, perhaps her reaction might’ve aligned more closely to her daughter’s. Aeolus seemed to react just like Luath had too: splashing and writhing in the waves.
Similar, yet somehow distinctly different.
“Was his father strange also?” Adria’s voice lowered now, remembering Brennen and the acute sense of mystery that managed to surround her first-time mate no matter where he decided to appear. If the same could be said about Aeolus’ origin, then perhaps that similarity might placate Eva’s tangled thoughts. For herself, Adria admitted to a bit of curiosity over the identity of Eva’s suitor. Just yesterday, the two had been discussing where foals even came from; now the proof of Eva’s maturity was diving right in front of Adria’s guarded eyes.
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
Despite not spending so much time with her adoptive mother lately, Eva would never feel an ounce of doubt that their relationship was falling. The nereid would always think happily about her relationship with @[Adria]. If anything was to bend and break their bond, she would do everything in her power to mend that. Adria was everything to her—she changed her life for the better in many ways Eva could truly not describe.
Eva folds into the embrace of the vermillion mare. It had been long since she had ever embraced her adoptive mother like this. However, the purple seahorse doesn’t feel she is too old to still be doing this. She would always be the same girl Adria had found at the mouth of the river—even if she was an adult now and a mother too.
The reassurance from Adria gives her somewhat hope for the future of her son. She remembers the same thing happening when Luath had been born. Her younger brother was harmless, or so at least she had never seen a predatory sign within him when he was young. “I hope so,” she says in reply. Her voice is warm and there is little doubt in her tone now.
At Adria’s next question, Eva pulls away from her mother’s embrace shyly. Her purple cheeks begin to burn a little as a rosy tiny appears on them. “He was very unique,” she says dream-like. Eva’s eyes sparkle a little as the memory resurfaces the day she had met Aodhan. Never had she ever found herself more captivated by someone. “There was something special about him that I could not quiet place. First he was a beautiful golden fish and then a serpent from somewhere far away…” Eva trails off, her eyes continue to sparkle for a moment as she relishes in the memory for a few more heartbeats. “I doubt he was harmful. There was something just too kind about him.” She laughs softly and smiles warmly at Adria at revealing her meeting about her first suitor.
