"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
It’s unusually hot for a late summer day, though Claudius cannot speak to the nature of the newly risen Ruins. The sun above beats down so measuredly against him, though, that sweat beads on the white and chestnut of his nape. Claudius breathes heavily as he labors over the sharp and treacherous rocks of the Ruins, flaring his wings just enough to keep his sides from soaking with sweat.
The excitement of exploration is what draws Claudius to the Common Lands. He knows all but the Ruins well; and despite wanting to wait until the cooler fall weather to map them out, he simply couldn’t resist. How regrets that now as the distant crash of the ocean taunts him, reminding him of the beaches of his homeland, so many days away. He sighs softly to himself, pausing for a break, then presses firmly onward. His eyes, bright and alert and alive, study every facet of the environment that he can.
Ever the optimist.
Soon, the slim beach that rides the edge of the Ruins is a smooth enough trek away that Claudius breaks into an excited canter. He nickers to himself, tucking his chin to his neck, painting a lovely picture upon the sun-soaked beach. He crashes into the water, finally releasing his taut neck to lift his chin to the sky, offering the clouds a worshipping grin. A brief respite of shade gifted to Claudius by the clouds passes while he settles into the soothingly cool water.
02-19-2022, 09:14 PM (This post was last modified: 03-27-2022, 02:32 PM by Areane.)
She doesn’t know what’s brought her back, but Areane casts a cautious glance across the sweeping landscape of the Ruins. It was wide and open, and yet something about this place tended to make her feel closed in. Her wings hang neatly against her slim onyx sides, though perhaps too tightly in the present heat of the day.
The sun bares down against her, and while spreading them open would be the practical thing to do, her subconscious prevents Areane from doing so. The young pegasus keeps glancing about, taking in the jagged rocks and the unfamiliar lay of the land, and associating this place with loss. It had arrived not long after Loess had sunk; her home had been traded for a place (that seemed) nobody called home at all.
It seemed a waste to her, and yet at the same time, Areane wondered who she was to contemplate the rising and falling of empires. She was barely past her third summer, and despite her father’s protestations, only newly-fledged from the family nest. It was only her and the sea, both churning in their own ways, until the sound of an approaching horse made her look away from the crashing waves. Everything about this place had seemed so gray - the overcast sky, the dull stone, even the ocean itself - until he arrived.
Whoever he was, he was a brilliant chestnut and brought a bright splash of color with him, even as he dived into the murky water. He looked at peace, and it helped put her own unrest with the Ruins at ease. Tarian had always encouraged her to be wary of strangers, and what he might have made of this one, she didn’t know. Areane only knew that she was curious, and eager for her first taste of company outside of her family.
"I like your flowers!" she calls out over the crashing waves to where the antlered stallion stood, hoping that it was the kind of thing one might say to another they found on an empty beach. Just in case it's not, Areane quickly adds against the whipping wind that tries to tangle her mane and reveals a few light blue spots on her forehead, "I sometimes get stuff caught in my mane when I land too fast. Twigs, leaves, and - " She was rambling again, and bit sharply down on her tongue, afraid she had already offended him.
"I mean, your flowers are much nicer than any of that," Areane says while high-stepping through the water, thinking that if there was any silver-lining of Loess sitting leagues below them, it was that she could never achieve Tarian's dream for his only daughter. She would have made a horrible diplomat.
02-24-2022, 01:34 AM (This post was last modified: 02-24-2022, 01:34 AM by claudius.)
Claudius immediately feels the rays of love for the ocean in his heart. It courses the blood in veins so powerfully that his heart practically beats out of his chest. He smiles at the sky, willingly soaking his downy feathers and thin layer of fur, basking in the pure joy of cool sea-salt water juxtaposing the hot summer sun. There is no greater pleasure to Claudius than sitting in the wealth of the moment, the heat and the water and the way his feathers protest against his impulsiveness.
Oh, the elation and the reward. The ruins and revelry. A perfect day.
Areane arrives like the sudden but peaceful autumn nights of Tephra. Not quite warm but not quite cold. Enveloping in its blackness but glittering with the brilliant, white light of a sky full of stars. Claudius stares at her before answering. She reminds him.
“You’ve made me proud,” Prayer murmurs. She nuzzles into the yearling mane that’s not quite as fluffy as it once was. Claudius can sense the love she longs to surround him with. All the words she could say that wouldn’t do what she feels justice. Above them, a wide night sky stretches. They’re warmly curled into each other, no thought of the day’s visit from his father poisoning their thoughts.
All things together, he knew then. All things together make him exactly the person he needs to be.
“Hello,” Claudius answers initially, not yet acknowledging Areane’s rambling. A bright smile splits his mouth. He studies her for only a moment, finding her the exact kind of friendly that makes his strong heart pound with supernatural strength. He briefly glances at his flowers—red and yellow roses, hibiscus, baby’s breath all scatter amongst thick, tangled locks—then back at his new companion.
“I’m Claudius,” he rumbles deep in his chest, pleasure and delight evident in his voice. “I find twigs and leaves to be just as lovely in my hair, especially coming from Tephra.” The smile on his face colors his words.
“You glitter like the night sky, stars and all,” he adds after a moment, glancing quickly at her wings.
“You remind me of home. Would you tell me your name?”
02-27-2022, 04:08 PM (This post was last modified: 03-27-2022, 02:32 PM by Areane.)
How many times had Tarian said that a greeting should be followed by an introduction?
Court manners had never been a favorite of her father’s, but he had tried to instill the etiquette into his children. Areane could have full conversations without uttering her name and not realizing the slip until she had returned home, re-telling the encounter to either her mother or Starros. She had meant to introduce herself after mentioning the flowers - the lovely hibiscus, the vibrant yellow and red petals, the subtle touch of the baby’s breath that she likes best - but then had she had told him about the landings she was still learning how to do, how they were abrupt enough that she managed to get leaves and twigs and a myriad of other things stuck in her dark mane.
But it doesn’t seem to phase him that she mentions those things, and so Areane doesn’t let it bother her further. Her smile grows, as does her pleasure in the company of the stallion. Claudius speaks of Tephra, in a radiating warmth that the young pegasus instantly associates with that kingdom, and her young face lights up. "Areane,” she offers to him and then bubbling over with excitement, begins to say more.
"Tephra is your home?” she starts with the obvious, "My family and I have been living on the outskirts of it, but what I’ve seen so far, it’s very lovely."Like your flowers, she thinks while eyeing them with open admiration.
And then remembering her manners, "And thank you. My Da says I look like my mother," her face softens at the thought of Altissima and her wings begin to dip towards the water, "He says that she lights up the night in a way that even the moon envies." She sighs, still wearing a dreamer's expression, before glancing back up to Claudius.
"What brings you here?" Areane wonders, genuinely curious about what would draw the chestnut out of idyllic Tephra.
Prayer and Thorn never raised Claudius to prepare for official kingdom life, a difference stark between he and the stranger; but the juxtaposition between the pair is almost comical. He, growing up youthful and wild and dark, more eloquent in conversation than she; and she, raised to be regal and observant and polite, more eager and recklessly curious than he. If the chestnut man were to recognize their differences, he’d appreciate Areane even more.
“Yes,” Claudius answers, chest swelling with pride. His mother used to call him the heart of Tephra for how much more fiercely he loved after every negative interaction with his father. Claudius never believed himself to be the heart of anything, but he did believe himself to be worthy of all the love that made him strong.
He is like the dawn or the dusk, a beautiful clashing of light and dark. Fear and hope. The shivering sense of accomplishment after enduring a storm. The withering exhaustion when one has faced all that they can. Claudius strives to embody all that is good and all that is bad, but refuses to allow the bad a single victory. Areane reminds him of that light he longs to let win, enthusiasm and stars both.
It’s almost certain that arrogance is one of Claudius’ flaws. Too prideful and perhaps guarded.
Areane wouldn’t know that, no—not based on the way he smiles openly at her answers. His heart thunders in his chest and he blinks those calm, pale eyes.
“You do look like her, then,” Claudius answers simply. “I’m sure your light rivals the stars in the sky.” He truly believes that, for how could someone able to convince the stars to follow her not be greater than the night?
“Exploration,” he says, his grin almost shy. “I love Tephra but I love my curiosity even more. There isn’t much known about the Ruins or the ocean kingdom. Perhaps I can discover more.” Claudius pauses, shaking out his coat and making his way toward the shore.
“What about you, Areane? What brings you here? Do you also love to explore?” he calls over his shoulder, salt water glittering down his hide.
@Areane
03-12-2022, 07:53 PM (This post was last modified: 03-27-2022, 02:31 PM by Areane.)
She glances over her winged shoulder at Claudius, compelled by curiosity and still marveling at the unexplored wilderness of the chestnut sabino. The sun continued to partly hide behind the clouds overhead, but nothing about the Tephran seemed muted to the young pegasus standing in the shallows of the beach. Between his proud wings, the flowers that adorn his mane and tail, the horn that glints so impressively in this light, Areane (either from inexperience or just her bold nature) doesn’t know where to let her amethyst eyes rest.
But she catches his periwinkle gaze and that decides it for her.
The slender mare smiles up at him, completely unaware of his pride and guarded nature.
"We hope to move there soon, officially.” Areane tells him, speaking of Tarian and his proud nature as if this was a conversation they had before, as if Claudius was an old confidant. He knows nothing of her parents, or how the only home she has ever known is lost beneath the gray sea they are both wading in. The latter seems like a bleaker subject and while Areane knows she can often say too much, she knows enough (and is enjoying her current company enough) that she decides against mentioning it.
Atleast for now.
"Th-thank you,” she says at Claudius’ mention that she must look like her mother. Areane had always hoped that she resembled Altissima, even if she hadn’t inherited her mother’s gifts or lovely pale coat. His compliment brings an unexpected rush of heat to her onyx face and the young mare who has often said too much finally finds herself at a loss of what to say next.
Claudius breaks the silence and Areane tilts her head in his direction to better hear him over the whipping wind. A dark ear flicks towards him and when he speaks of exploring, Altissima’s daughter gives her companion a beaming smile. While Tarian would have done his part to instill Court manners and etiquette, Altissima’s blood also flows in her veins.
Areane loves to wander almost as much as she wishes for a cause to pledge herself to.
"I wanted to see this place for myself,” she reveals, "I want an adventure and this seemed like a good place to start.” The young pegasus states, drawing up her blue-sheened wings against her slim sides and above the waves that pass by. "What other places have you explored?" Areane calls out, still smiling despite the chill of the ocean water that sends an an involuntary shiver down her spine.
"Perhaps you might help me decide where the Winds will take me next."
There's a special kind of excitement and awe when two similar, bubbly creatures collide. Claudius can feel a pleasantness buzzing in his ears, a feeling so lively it almost manifests and narrates his experience with gusto. It reminds him of those perfect evenings in Tephra, when everything in their little home harmonized perfectly with his family. Areane reminds him of his brother, that eagerness so overpowering it nearly overshadows everything else.
(Though Mantis always exhibited the darker parts of their family: curiosity and desire chomping at the bit while an unchecked anger nips at his heels. Claudius doesn't think the pegasus before him would facilitate such a darkness.)
"I can show you all the secret spots," Claudius replies, typically smooth voice falling into an excited, chattering rhythm. All the pride of his peaceful homeland swells in his chest. He tries to picture Areane amongst the tropical flowers and squawking, brilliant birds. Lovely and dark, she would certainly juxtapose the lively jungle. She'd fit all the secret hollows, the churning thunderstorms, and the night-blooming flowers that the land isn't known for, though. Perhaps she might become her own Tephran secret.
"I think a land ripped from the ocean is the perfect place to start for an adventure," he calls with a grin. The wind whips his mane as he throws his head in the direction of the sunny wreckage. "Are you coming?" he quickly adds, bucking into a playful canter and heading toward trickier ground.
With the hope that Areane had followed him, Claudius answers, "I've been all over the Common Lands and some kingdoms, though I would hardly call myself an expert on any place." He's thoughtful and engaging, gaze tilting slightly down to peer at his companion. "An adventure . . ." He muses, mouth curling mischievously. "If you're partial to danger, you could always try the East. Pangea and Carnage and curses and the like." He's not serious, for the most part - though if she were to show true interest, he'd likely feel guilty; and if she were to insist, he'd likely follow.
Claudius is always looking for his own adventure, afterall.
@Areane
03-27-2022, 07:51 PM (This post was last modified: 03-27-2022, 07:54 PM by Areane.)
Claudius’ excitement isn’t missed by Areane. The dark pegasus feels it and it fuels her own, making her smile come a little easier and making her forget all her earlier reluctance. "I’d like that,” she tells the chestnut sabino earnestly, lengthening her stride to better match his as they waded from the shallows back towards the shore.
She had secret places once, but that had been in Loess. All those places now existed beneath the sea. Her favorite place to watch the sunset. A quiet place nestled among the ravines where she used to like to contemplate her future. A little spot by the shore of the Loessian coast where glowing light blue flowers bloomed and glowed beneath the moonlight.
The thought of finding new ones in Tephra, though, sounds lovely.
Her companion begins to move into a canter, and Areane pushes herself into one as well. There is the wind whipping past her, and the salt permeating all the air that surrounds her that wants to keep her at bay. But the spotted mare answers the other winged horse, "Trying to!” in a laughing reply.
He bucks, and once they come upon the beach, her own slender body twists in excitement.
Areane is still feeling light on her hooves, and therefore dances on her toes, while Claudius continues to speak. Her head tosses in reply, with an impish smile curling at the edges of her lips. "You’ve certainly been to more places than I have,” she reveals, "I’ve only recently started exploring the Common Lands, and I rarely venture further than the Forest.” This trip to the Ruins had been an outlier, and while she had harbored some initial hesitation about coming here, Areane finds herself glad that she has when she smiles up at the handsome alicorn.
"My mother spent some time in Pangea," Areane says with a teasing sideways grin. "So perhaps it can't be that bad?"
