"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
09-03-2016, 06:12 PM (This post was last modified: 09-03-2016, 06:13 PM by Usual Story.)
Usual Story was almost lost in the forest, trotting vigourously between the trees. She was pacing back and forth in the Field when she decided to enter and explore this dense forest. The mare wasn't accustomed to Beqanna at all and it had already changed, and she didn't know how to feel and where she has to go. She wasn't ever blessed by any sort of magical stuff, and right there she didn't care. She could handle and face everything only with her four legs, her brave heart and her chestnut coat. Everything but herself. The fact was that Usual was the most self-unconfident mare that the world have ever seen, wanting to manage all her surroundings, continually asking herself whether or not to do this or that, always sure she was doing something bad. She went on trought the dense forest with her steps slamming on the pathway, trying vainly to dismiss the questions which were dancing furiously in her mind.
The arabian focused on her steady breath and on the wind which was blowing smoothly through her long mane. She slowed down and looked around and slowed down again until she stopped, still, the forest getting silent around her without her noisy hoofsteps. Only a bird here and there decided to break the silent from time to time by singing happily. Then, a CRAAAKK. Usual jumped, turn back in a second, her eyes wide and alert, a surge of fear running through her veins. She looked around, each muscle of her body very tense. Nothing front, nothing back, nothing on the left, nothing on the right. Nothing. Just nothing. She relaxed quickly and let her breath out. Maybe a falling branche or a squirrel...She snorted " How childish I am ! " she thought and shook her head, displeased with herself. Then she began to laugh at herself with displayed mockery.Her laughter grew louder and louder in the silence, inapropriate. She pulled herself together "Well, good, now I'm acting like a lunatic !"
This massive event had affected everyone in different ways, and it was obvious that some of these effects were more extreme than others. When the spotted stallion hears the loud, raucous laughter of a mare, he doesn’t think ‘crazy’, he thinks ‘damaged’. Gods only know that he would scream and scream and scream if he thought he was alone, too. Life was unfair. He had lost homes. Not singular, but plural. First the Deserts, and he thought that would have been bad enough. He filled that massive trench left by the dunes with the Tundra and his family, and this trench soon became a little mound, and then a massive hill, and now it was a mountain, and it dwarfed everything that the Deserts had been to him.
But that was gone now, too. Mountains move, he has learnt.
So no, his first reaction upon hearing this isn’t to judge the soundness of her mind. He wonders whether she is okay, whether she is struggling, whether she has lost her family too, or a home that only she had ever known. And so he approaches her, this laughing woman.
”Hello,” he says, a little more stiffly than he intended, but Romek has never really been one for words. He is no wordsmith. Being nice was Maribel’s job. ”Are you alright?”
He looked and looked and looked but could not find Gyps. His anxiety was through the roof, Andras decided to leave the Meadow and go to the Forest, perhaps he would have better luck there. As he walked through the Forest he saw a Chestnut mare, she seemed just as lost as he did. He gave a sigh and walked over towards her, but another stallion got there first.
Wait….This was just any stallion, it was Romek! The two had a mock battle some time ago, and they made some sort of friendship out of it. He approached with a forced smile, still heartbroken that he couldn’t find Gyps. Romek he dipped his head in greeting to the stallion, And miss he turned to the chestnut mare Are you alright? he asked to both of them, physically they both appeared just fine. Andras’ horn was obviously stripped from him, he wondered if Romek still had his abilities.
Let Go Of The Thoughts That Don't Make You Stronger
09-04-2016, 09:10 AM (This post was last modified: 09-04-2016, 09:12 AM by Usual Story.)
Maybe it was because she was too noisy or just because she was too busy with herself, but the mare didn't notice the coming stallion until he is not very far away from her. She glanced at him, and got quiet immediately, shameful. He must have heard her, it's obvious. She swinged from one foot to another, uncomfortable, vainly attempting to pull up an impassible and relaxed face. She stayed at a wise distance from him. The chestnut haven't met many people here and she wasn't good at being friendly from the beginning. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the unknown man, almost longer than it was socially acceptable. "Hello", she replied with a shy smile. She knew at the tone of his voice he didn't seem to be a sadistic and rough stallion. His next three words reminded her that she have just put herself in a ridiculous situation a few minutes ago. She grins a little and looked away " Yes, I'm okay. At least physically ", she joked in a low voice. Then she chuckled awkwardly and added " Well, you must think I'm a fool ...."
She had just ended up when she saw another stallion heading towards them. He neither didn't seem a bad one, and the mare felt reassured by his smile. She glanced from the first - Romek, apparently they have already met each other -, to the second " Yes, it's alright" , she repeated, finding it wasn't worth explaining the circumstances of her laughter.
She looked embarrassed at being caught like this, and Romek tilts his head and watches her with a still quality that said nothing at all. In truth, he wishes that he could offer some kind of comfort to her, to persuade her that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but it has never been in his nature. Her long stare was easily met by his calm, yellow eyes. He had little care for what is considered polite.
”Not at all,” he says. ”You should worry less.” And this is his version of kind, reassuring words.
Another stallion comes along, looking a little strange without that familiar horn of his. But as much as it changed his face, it was Andras alright. He was glad to see the boy unhurt, looking safe enough, and not too badly affected by the loss of his watery home. Of course, they’re all lost, wandering around aimlessly trying to pick up everybody that means something to them.
”’I’m pleased to see you have all your limbs, Andras.” the spotted stallion says with a slight smile. And, although by now he has been looking for days, he still feels guilty for engaging in conversation when his wife is out there somewhere, all on her own.
”I am also alright.” he says. ”Despite losing a home, again, to the whims of the fucking Gods, losing my wife, and all of my abilities – I am perfectly alright, thanks.”
At least his children were safe.
”I’m Romek, in case you couldn’t tell.” he says, addressing the mare now. ”What’s your name?”
There was no one better than Romek to cause a true smile to grow on his face. The old man was always pleasant to have a conversation with, in fact he valued his conversations with Romek more than he did with his own father. Andras gave a nod to Romek as he spoke about Andras having all his limbs Back at you he a slight laugh followed hey…do you have…uhm yanno your traits? he asked with hope that he wasn’t the only one who lost his traits.
It wasn’t until Romek spoke about his mate that his heart stung again, he to has yet to find Gyps. Andras has conversed with many but none of them were Gyps, he could only hope that she was safe and he would be with her again soon. Andras reached out his maw to gently touch Romeks shoulder I’m sorry, I haven’t been able to find Gyps either The stallion also noted that his traits were gone, that was odd, why were the faeries punishing all the equines?
His attention turned to the mare who he almost forgot was there, Romek asked her name and he gave a small nod of his head. Yes, what is your name? I apologize for being so rude and not asking myself caught up in his own conversation with Romek.
Let Go Of The Thoughts That Don't Make You Stronger
09-05-2016, 11:13 AM (This post was last modified: 09-05-2016, 11:16 AM by Usual Story.)
The mare found herself caught in an odd conversation and she didn't catch on everything being in it. Until now she had been plainly unmoved by all that magical stuff, given she hadn't met any traited horse yet, and given she had never had herself a particular ability. Usually she felt weak and useless and her lack of trait wasn't something to be enjoyed, but right now she was glad she hadn't have to lost something else than her home and her family.
Listening to them carefully, she realized that both of them are as much lost as her. When Romek told Andras about his abilities , she wondered with a surge of curiosity what were they but she kept herself from asking, instead she attempted to gather together all these news informations. Who was Gyps, Andras' wife ? When would they find their wives ? What if they never find them ? Why all that had happened? It was worse than she had assumed. Beqanna had become such a mess.
The mare remained still and quiet like a spectator until they both asked her her name. She replied quickly , looking to Romek " I'm Usual Story " . She smiled a little. She always felt like joking when she told her name, it was a very weird one. Then she turned to the second stallion, tilting slowly her head reassuringly "That doesn't matter. You're Andras, aren't you ?" She dared to add, adressing both of them : " What's wrong with you ? I mean, what happened to you ? " She was aware that she was quite unclear, but she wanted to know more about their losses.
And, of course, the spotted stallion treated Andras like he was one of his own kin. Romek saw a lot of himself in the younger stallion, although perhaps without the bitterness and anxiety which had plagued his own youth. No, Andras was what Romek could’ve been if he had been happy, if he had had someone. And he wanted to help the ex-unicorn out in any way possible – whether that be training, or as an emotional support. He didn’t want him to turn out like himself, after all.
”None of them,” he says, tilting his head. ”Up on the Mountain, the gods, or the fairies, or whoever, saw fit to lend me immortality. Which was just as well, otherwise I’d probably be dead.” He could deal without his shapeshifting and without his sound mimicry, although he makes a mental note to perhaps seen about earning them back later. For now, it’s all about Maribel, and finding a home, and creating some sort of security for them all.
He says he hasn’t been able to find Gyps and Romek surmises that she must be his heart. It’s a sad state of affairs then, with leagues of misplaced lovers scattered across Beqanna.
He realises that the poor mare may be feeling left out of all of this conversation. It would be quite easy to feel like a third wheel, especially as she knew neither of them. And seeing as they had approached her, and not the other way round, they do have a duty to keep her in the loop, and the spotted stallion is ever dutiful. He notes her confused expression, and nods in understanding of her name.
”I shall call you Story then, if it pleases you.” he says. She questions what has happened and he rolls his shoulders easily.
”My home has gone. Vanished completely. It was called the Tundra, and it is no more. And what’s worse, is that this isn’t even the first time this has happened. First of all, it was my Deserts, which the gods or whoever had decided to drown as punishment for quarrelling.” The spotted stallion is barely one for sharing, or chattering, but he finds it comes easily now, that he needed to vent this all. ”I was asleep with my wife and our children when all of a sudden I was taken and dropped into the Mountain. I have found the children, but I cannot find her yet. I also have do not have any use of my former abilities. Which is no big loss, but rather annoying.”
He looks to Andras so that he might add his own story on, or elaborate on any points that he had glossed over, before turning back to Story. ”Did you lose anything?”
Romek noted that he didn’t have his traits which was a relief to Andras but still caused confusion. The mare was very quiet but she finally spoke, introducing herself as ‘Usual Story’ an unusual name. He cocked his head but listened as she continued speaking, she asked what happened to him. It was probably easier to explain what hasn’t happened. He opened his maw to explain but Romek spoke and he remained silent. Romek spoke of losing his home, the Tundra and the Desert, waking up in the Mountain without his family without his traits. He than turned to Andras and asked about his loss.
He gave a dip of his head, orbs flicking between the two Yes my story was similar, I come from a Kingdom called the Falls which is no longer existent. I was with Gyps and I don’t remember how but I awoke on a Mountain without Gyps. I have run into many but none of them were her, My horn was stripped from me. his body grew angry but he couldn’t let his emotions get the best of him. He remained calm on the outside and focused his view on Story Were you from a Kingdom? she didn’t smell of one. It had to be extremely hard to have come to Beqanna in a time like this, everyone running around frantically.
Let Go Of The Thoughts That Don't Make You Stronger
It seems like the entirety of Beqanna has suffered losses. Andras, too, has lost his lady, his home, his powers. Very much like Romek himself. He looks to them both, an expression of sympathy on his face.
”If you two have nowhere else to go, then you are more than welcome to come with me. And Andras, if any of your fellow Falls members want to come along, they are more than welcome. Or Gyps. It’s a terrible state of affairs. Now I must be off, but I hope to see the both of you soon.”
