[OPEN] Hurricane

[swxrdsandpxns]

The young stag felt uncomfortable as he watched the mare’s reaction. He swallowed, unsure of what she was holding back, but believing it was something horrendous…something that had been etched into the core of her being. She suddenly smiled, and a chuckle slipped softly from her lips. She thanked him…but no more than that. He didn’t expect much else, but for some reason, he had hoped for more. Maybe a blush, an innocent giggle? He did not deny Ellyse’s mind, the way she spoke and the way she held herself screamed intelligence and poise, but he wanted to see a softer side…he wanted to show her a softer side.

The sun had fully set now, and the moon began to poke over the horizon. The crescent shaped satellite beamed bright, beautiful light over the fields. The mare seemed distant, like she was lost in thought, and Rou longed to be able to reach into her brain, to know what she thought about, what she was capable of. She finally spoke, her voice stern, almost cold.

“Neither… it is less of a herd, really – there is a leader, Magnus, with several individuals beneath him to give support in diplomacy and warfare. Home.” She glanced at him, and Rou felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn’t quite decipher the way she said it, but it was almost as if she was questioning him…he decided to ignore it, and listened to her continue. “I serve as the Head of War. I ensure the safety and security of our domain, and prepare those interested in serving for eventual battle and border security. It is no regime – more of a…family. I am afraid that we lack creeks and large oak trees, but there is magma and hot springs to rest your bones in.”

Rou chuckled at her last remark – this mare was so intriguing. The way she went so flawlessly from serious to joking. The way she spoke about her position so effortlessly, as she had been practicing it for a long time.

So, she was a protector. A guard, making sure her family was protected. She was important, not that Diable Rouge doubted that she would be anything less. Rou wondered, had his fate been different - had his mother’s fate been different - if maybe he could’ve done something similar. If maybe he could’ve grown strong enough to the defeat Lucifer. His face fell. He silently wondered if he could’ve made a home…a safe haven for mares and stallions alike, had his situation turned out differently.

“Should you decide to seek more for your life than this, you are welcome within our borders.” Ellyse spoke. But this comment didn’t seem as rehearsed…it seemed like a genuine invitation, as if she wanted him to come with her…as if someone finally wanted him around. Rou’s mouth curled into a smile, and he looked at the mare warmly. He longed to learn everything about this mare. She was astute, mysterious, utterly beautiful – and Rou felt himself grow excited to learn more about her, and maybe be accepted onto her land.

He cleared his throat. “That sounds...” He tried to think of a word for it, but all he could come up with was: “Wonderful.” 

[Ellyse]

don't you tell me to deny it; i've done wrong and i want to suffer for my sins.

  The sunlight was beginning to wane, tucking itself beyond the horizon and leaving a soft glow of amber and crimson in its wake, though soon the sky is swathed in darkness, as the soft, glimmering light of wayward stars dance along the edges of a bright, rising crescent moon. Her pallid skin is bathed in its soft, bleak light, and as her bright gold-flecked irises linger elsewhere for a moment, but she is observant – sensing the tension within his jawline as he struggles to decipher the unyielding ferocity of her ever-changing tone, detecting the momentary disappointment etched within his features.

  She is quiet, then, observing the way turmoil seemingly stirs within him, plucking at the carefully constructed façade of indifference and disdain, tugging at the worn, tired heartstrings he was trying desperately to keep buried within the deepest recesses of his anguished mind. He reminded her once more of someone else, of someone who struggled with the weight of guilt, longing, remorse, and ire – and the stifled emotion has surfaced, lingering along the once unmoving surface of his stare.

  Somewhere within his silence, a memory is unveiled to him, as a yearning for something intangible stirs within him as an old familiar ache envelopes him. Gently, she presses against the ridge of hardened bone and sinewy muscle along the contour of his shoulder – urging the darkness away from him; imploring him to find comfort in her touch. She is not one for words – her tongue is biting; her tone often sardonic and rife with sarcasm and scorn – but she is not impervious to his pain, and she could only hope that he could see that.

  When her hazel eyes meet with his again, two-toned and a relentless sea of unsettled emotion, the smile that had pulled at the edges of his dark mouth is reciprocated as a simper graces her own.

  ”Good. I think you will come to like our volcanic oasis,” she murmurs. Hellhole, she muses thoughtfully to herself, at least in the dead of summer. She would not give the rolling crests and peaks, the rich, moist soil, or the hot tendrils of bubbling magma for anything. It was hers, it was home.

  Home.

  ”Come, Rou – I will show you the way.”

Ellyse

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:| I am so sorry this is so late!

You can either reply here or start a new thread in Tephra! 

[swxrdsandpxns]

 Soft.
Ellyse’s eyes turned soft as she spoke, and Rou felt himself swell with anticipation. Her hazel orbs gazed into his, and he suddenly felt a weight lift off his tired shoulders. She pressed against him, urging his demons to float into the night air, up to the stars, to stay there forever. Her smile brought him a sort of peace he never believed was possible; he was a sea of emotions…but for once, the sea was calm.
“Come Rou, I will show you the way,” She murmurs, beginning to drift away. A mix of nerves and excitement courses through him, and he willingly follows her, hoping that the “volcanic oasis,” as Ellyse called it, would become his home…a place he could rest his head without the past coming to haunt him. He wondered if his mother would be proud of him for opening up to someone, for letting the past take the back burner, and instead look towards the future. He hoped that what Ellyse said was true – that he would be welcomed there. That they would look past the stallion that had been bruised by the past, and see someone with potential. He wasn’t sure what would happen…but he looked forward to finding out.
 
OOC: I’m so sorry this reply is awful. I’m so rusty right now. We could take this to Tephra now? ?