"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
07-27-2016, 05:41 PM (This post was last modified: 07-27-2016, 05:43 PM by Kokachin.
Edit Reason: Didn't like quote format
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Kokachin
"...And I Want to Tear a Strip From the Firmament..."
She'd traveled far and at last it seemed she'd found herself a permanent place of rest. Kokachin had left the far off lands of her home once she'd grown to 3 years of age, desiring a place of her own. It was not that she did not love her family or did not enjoy where they resided, but spending so many years of her life with the same companions, destined to be mated with someone she considered family had been unappealing. With that Kokachin ended up going as far as her feet could take her until she was firmly in the lands of Beqanna. It was winter now so the air was chilled, but there was no detriment to her hardy Spanish Mustang bloodlines. Her breed was a strong, durable breed of ancient origins and could withstand harsh climates and terrains. Kokachin herself was young and strong, and now that she had fully matured she'd grown into quite a stunning prize, that any stallion would be eager to have in their herd. She was a blue eyed beauty with peculiar markings for one of her own. Her grey patches, spattered with white flecks gave her a bluish hue which the tone of her eyes influenced as well. It was her color that had influenced the name her parents had given her. In her home she'd been known as The Blue Princess, for her breathtaking looks and for being the daughter of both the lead mare and stallion;However, now in a new land her name nor her parentage mattered, She was simply like any other mare in need of a home. Making her presence known to any who might be near by, Kokachin awaited a hopefully kind fate.
He is an oddball. No one would ever deny that, least of all him. But who can blame him? I mean, just look at his parents. Well, actually, you can’t because they’re pretty absentee. His mother at least had raised him up until he could kinda sorta fend for himself. She’s a bit selfish, but he won’t hold that against her. She is his mom after all. His father, well… he’d never met the man. Heard he’d died. Also heard he wasn’t exactly the nicest bloke, but still, would’ve been nice to meet him.
Despite that, he seems to have turned out alright. Well, a bit strange, but we’ve already established that. Still, he’s decent enough. A nice, normal looking young stallion. A bit on the plain side. His dusty black coat won’t stand out to anybody. His eyes are a rather pretty silver color, but beyond that, just your average joe.
Certainly no one handsome enough, or strong enough, or cocky enough to attract some of the gems of the field. Still, never hurts to try. Worst that can happen is he gets shot down. Which, well, he’s used to it. See above.
So he’s here again, standing rather idly as he plays with a bit of sunlight. The little stray beam dances across his skin, making shapes and swirls and patterns. It’s entertaining at least. And just about the only cool thing about him. He’s not above using his gods given gifts to attract some company.
He almost doesn’t notice her at first. He’s too busy playing with his sunshine, even though, technically, he’s here to find a mare or two who might actually want to join his herd. Jeez, pay attention man.
He might not be especially pretty, but his chosen herd land is. That’s something, right? Anyway, he finally does notice her. She’s a pretty little mare, and seems friendly enough, at least from what he can tell just by looking at her. So he approaches, is features relaxed and a slight grin tugging at his lips.
”Hi,” he begins. A good start, a little boring, but not objectionable at least. ”I’m, uh, Astray.” Ok, that was less good. ”You look nice,” he finishes rather lamely. ”What’s your name?”
Wow Astray. Jus wow.
who am i supposed to be if everything good is taken from me?
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
If he was being honest, Magnus would have to admit that he spent more time here than in his kingdom. In modern terms, he would be dubbed a workaholic, although the truth was that he wasn’t addicted to the process of the grind so much as he appreciated the way it occupied his mind. It was easy for him to forget the pain, the memories, the grief, the regret when he threw himself whole-heartedly into recruiting.
It was easy to lose himself like this.
So, it should come as no surprise that he has already found himself back here after returning to Heaven. He had been dismayed to find the kingdom so quiet—the bodies that had been filling her borders seemingly slipping away once more. (The fact that Minette was not there did not escape him; the knife was lodged deeply in the cavity of his chest.) That night, he had allowed himself to sleep, laying to rest beneath the boughs of the mother tree where magic no longer sprung eternal. Then, this morning, he had risen—determined to bring life back. He would never give up on the kingdom.
He would not let her go quietly into the night.
Without wings, the journey from Heaven to the field was much longer, but he didn’t mind the time reacquainting himself with the trial. He had taken the wings for the reason he did all things: to better serve his kingdom. They had not been a part of him though. He was quite content to live a life without the bells and whistles that so adorned the souls that inhabited Beqanna nowadays.
He was a simple man and he would have liked a simple life.
Shrugging the thought away, his gaze is caught by the play of light on flesh. Smiling in amusement, he alters his path toward the black stallion and the painted mare. “Nice trick,” he chuckles, nodding toward Astray. He nods toward him and then catches the gaze of the mare, holding onto her gaze for a second. “My name is Magnus.” He doesn’t expect anyone to know who he is, did not expect anyone to even when the name meant something. Relaxing in their presence, comfortable in the recruiting process, his lips quirk once more into a lopsided grin. “So what brings you two here today?”
07-30-2016, 11:21 PM (This post was last modified: 07-31-2016, 07:54 AM by Kokachin.
Edit Reason: Hard to read
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Kokachin wasn't left alone long but it felt like eternity till another soul made their presence known. In her journeys she'd had an abundance of solitary time. The moments had granted her the time to examine the inner workings of her own mind and she'd been able to decipher who she was at heart, now she was ready to get to know the mind and soul of another. The first stallion to approach her caught her attention by the way light shimmered about him. She was mesmerized by the play of light along his flesh and when he approached her in an uncertain nature she spoke to him in as kind and soothing a voice as possible. "Hi there, it's nice to meet you." She grinned as he complimented her. "You're very kind, I'm Kokachin." Just as one other being came to greet her another appeared as if from thin air and she smiled to this new, mysterious figure. He clearly held more confidence in himself just by the way he carries himself. When he spoke it was ever more apparent. "Hello! How wonderful to have new faces." As the other stallion introduced himself she smiled at him. "Nice to meet you Magnus." When he asked what they were doing she looked about and have a look of nonchalant indifference. "I'm actually new to the area and hoped that I might find a home."
Naturally he would never have the fortune of having this young lady to himself. It is the field, after all. Land of recruitment. So he isn't particularly surprised when another man is swift to approach the pretty painted mare.
It is to his misfortune that the other stallion happens to be a rather fine specimen. Next to him, he must look like chopped liver. And then he talks and makes things even worse. Suave and smooth and charming, everything that Astray is not.
Well, crap.
The mare introduces herself as Kokachin, and she seems just as nice as he had first thought. And babbled about. If he has to babble though, I suppose there are worse things to say. Although at the moment, he can't really think of any.
Don't worry, it'll come to him. Probably the next time he opens his mouth.
As it happens, Magnus’ question, followed by Kokachin’s admission, gives him the perfect excuse to launch into his invitation. ”Well, actually, that's why I'm here. I, uh, have a herd.” Ok, that's not precisely true. ”Well, sort of. It's pretty little.” Read: party of one. ”You could join me, if you like.” This is followed by a rather awkward pause, mostly because everything about Astray is rather awkward.
”I mean, it'd just be you and me, for a while. But the land is pretty!” he rushes to continue. ”And it's safe. And nice.” Another awkward pause. ”But only if you want, of course.”
He forces himself to stop there. I might have said while he's ahead, but let's be real, he left that behind a long time ago.
who am i supposed to be if everything good is taken from me?
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
The thing that Magnus loved most about the field was the endless possibilities of it.
He loved the fact that souls could come here and find purpose; that recruiters could come and help link them to the next chapter of their lives. While too often recruiters saw it as a chance to sell themselves, regardless of their audience. They sold homes inappropriate to someone’s needs; they gave rote speeches without taking the time to learn what the mares or stallions actually wanted—or, better yet, needed. Magnus thought it was a damn shame.
He took the act of recruitment seriously; as seriously as he took all things in his life. It was a chance to help others, and if, at the end of the day, they wanted to call Heaven home, then it was a win-win situation. But if they found their calling somewhere else, then he certainly would hold no grudge about it. He wasn’t there for that reason.
So he just smiles as Astray speaks of his herd, nodding encouragingly when he senses the nervousness of the other. “That sounds like a great home,” he concludes, one corner of his mouth lifting as he turns his attention back to the mare. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kokachin.” He holds her gaze lightly as he talks, breeze trailing down his neck and across his wide back. “I’m here for a similar reason to Astray, although I do not have a herd per se.” Not that he had not considered it before—it just hadn’t been in the cards for him. He was kingdom bred through and through.
“I am from a kingdom called Heaven’s Gates. It is actually not far from here.” He gestures toward the border. “It is a beautiful place—peaceful, quiet. For those who wish for it, there is the opportunity to join castes as either a diplomat and soldier and move up the ranks. For those who simply wish a home, Heaven offers that too.” He grins when he realizes how much he was talking. “I will cut myself off for now—I am afraid I could talk for hours about my home. If you’d like to know more, or even if you would like to see it, it would be a joy to introduce you more to her.”
He smiles back at the other stallion, “Although he has a fine offer, as well.”
Kokachin would never have guessed the opportunities that waited for her here, but she was quite thrilled at the thought that she could do what she pleased, go where she wished. Beqanna was a new world for her with an abundance of mysteries in store;she was thrilled to the core. She took the time to let each stallion make his case, seeing as the shier of the two jumped straight to his intention. She had to admit she was torn almost immediately, there was the option of falling into something safe, a system she was familiar with. Living life with a herd, although it would only be two but it was falling back into a life she could follow along with, play the part. Her other option fell into something more spontaneous and free. gazing between the two, her crystalline blue eyes conflicted but bright with anticipation. "You both have offered me such bright futures, and both carry such a high appeal with me, but ultimately a choice must be made." Smiling kindly on the pair her eyes flashed between the two before settling on Astray. "I want to thank you for your generous offer and your willingness to offer me a home; However, I have lived a herd life and I left my home and family behind in search of something different and for that I must take up Magnus's offer. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors." Shifting her gaze over to Magnus she smiled "I'd love to hear and see more."
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
He is quiet as she decides, weighing her options—deciding upon her future. He knew more than most that it was never an easy choice made here. For most, there was always the lingering question as to whether or not they made the right call. After all, the road diverged into two paths more often than not during the Field’s encounters. For some, the path would diverge into even more choices than that.
Magnus’ job was to now put her at ease that she had made the right choice.
He dipped his head at the stallion and gave him a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you today. I hope that I run across you again soon.” One corner of his mouth flicked upward in the corner. “If you would ever like a place to rest your head or wile away a few hours, the borders of the Gates are always open to you.” He hoped that the stallion would take him up on the offer; it would be nice to get to know him better.
Magnus then turns his attention toward the painted mare. “The Gates is truly a beautiful place. Perhaps it would be easier to simply show you to her.” He took a step back and nodded toward the border.
Kokachin looked kindly upon Astray and when Magnus spoke her eyes turned to him and she couldn't help the giddy burst that sprouted in her stomach. She was ready for this new adventure and the people she was to meet, but first it was time to see her new home and get to know this new compatriot. Turning to look at Astray one last time she gestured a farewell. "I hope all goes well with you and perhaps one day our paths will cross again." Turning now to Magnus she nodded, taking a step forward to follow him. "Lead the way, I can't wait to see this land you speak of."
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