"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
He hesitates for a moment or two. Adria can feel it because she’s focused on where his feet are in relation to the water. Her power is like a loose garment around her, sensitive to any tug or touch. Not only can she feel when Ruinam decides to let loose and run behind her, she can also feel the aquatic animals beneath the waves. The way her gift works is literally a craft: she forces the water to solidify. If anything had thought about surfacing to catch Ruinam it would’ve slammed into the hard surface as an aquarium fish sometimes bumps into their enclosure.
He was safe with her.
She glances behind where the undulating layers of her mane and tail are streaming like two sand-colored banners, catching sight of the leggy stallion and his foxy rider. Both seem to be enjoying themselves (she can’t really speak for Ruinam’s companion) and the smile beaming across her newfound neighbor’s mouth speaks volumes.
The Nereid laughs wildly, throwing her head forward again as the white stallion catches up. For a moment it’s just them, together, bounding over the waves as the sun glints across the water and gleams along the muscle of their moving hides. Then Ischia appears in the distance, growing larger the closer they get, and Adria gasps a breathy sort of laugh when they arrive on her shores. “Ah! A match well met.” She sighs, breathless.
When the two horses and one fox settle on land again, the water has returned to its natural state. The beach slopes upward towards the dense tangle of jungle, the faint chatter of parrots and far away lemurs a welcome sound to Adria’s ears. “Welcome to Ischia, Ruinam and friend.” She bows in return.
“We have a waterfall not too far from here… but if you’re sick of water we could simply explore a bit. Oh!” Adria remembers, hardly bashful as she steps towards Ruinam and nudges one of his broad, pale shoulders with her nose. “If you stay past nightfall you’ll get to see the glowing waters. It’s a fantastic sight.”
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
The stallion's eyes are swept away by the awe-inducing climate, his ears swivelling around to listen to the various calls of tropical birds with the constant hum of the ocean in the background.
The humid air quickly enters the stallion's lungs as he takes a long look around, a smile spreading across his muzzle as he takes the wonderful sight in as if lost in a wonderland.
The mare's voice draws the stallion back in, both still breathless as they stand at the edge of the island.
"Indeed, I don't think I have had to run that fast in a while" he laughs, turning to face her properly as she welcomes the pair to the Island.
The mare proposes locations for where the two should go, Ruinam takes a glance around the island for a moment before looking back at the mare, he was happy to go anywhere she went, glad to be in her general company.
"A waterfall huh?" as if the island couldn't get any more intriguing the mare informs him of the glowing waters at night, Ruinam raises his brow at the thought "I don't mind the water, we are surrounded by it after all" he smiles, slightly closing the distance between the pair "A waterfall does also sound delightful" he says softly, his shoulder softly caroming against hers "As for the glowing waters, I definitely need to see that" he nods abruptly.
He remembers a waterfall back from where he lived, a large and impressive monument of their island, with multiple different species and horses with, hindered, abilities basking under the cool sun, relaxing in the deep teal-blue pool, sprayed by the refreshing and cooling mist of the waterfall.
But he rather not focus on what was and pay attention to now, his head turning toward the mare with a smile "Tell me more about Ischia, it looks like a wonderful place" he says quietly, his companion slowly finding his way down to the ground, wriggling down the stallion's leg uncomfortably.
Once down the small fox begins to sniff around, curious to smell everything there was to smell.
"I'm excited to learn more about this place and about you" he nods, standing next to the mare as he looks toward the treeline, his ears following every sound that came toward them.
Something about coming home makes Adria feel… unfettered. Like she was able to take off the diplomatic mask she’d worn to the Resort and let her best features be shown. It helped that Ruinam was the sort who was extremely easy on the eyes, in her opinion. They’re laughing and she’s looking at him through the part of her long forelock, eyes glimmering with a hint of bewitching light. To her elated surprise he agrees to both notions - the waterfall and the night beach - which leaves her breathless in a totally different way.
It meant that his afternoon and evening were hers and hers alone to entertain however she liked, and when the tall stallion leaned closer Adria could think of about a million different ways that entertainment could go. The second their shoulders collide she curls into the touch, Ischia forgotten in the moment as the Nereid mare bends her neck and presses her lips into his mane. He tastes of the sea, smells like warm sand and a hint of fox.
Tell me more about Ischia, he asks her. That’s enough to break the spell, not enough to move her away from him immediately though. Ruinam’s companion shimmies down the opposite side of the white male and plops onto the shore before Adria replies, “You make me sound so much more intriguing than I am.” With a charming, high laugh. She eases away from him, flicking her tail across his legs when she goes. She hopes that he’ll follow wherever she leads.
“There’s the jungle, as you can see.” Adria explains with a smile, heading up the dunes and through the high sea grass before they breach the outer edge of the tropical forest. Her steps are delicate and precise, taking them down a path that feels well-worn. Here the air seems impossibly thick with humidity, almost like water itself as it clings to her skin and pools underneath her long mane. “Tropical parrots live here,” And for a moment her thoughts drift to Brennen and his companion animal, “along with monkey-like creatures called lemur. Strange predators can be found sometimes, very rare. In my tongue we call them Chat Satan. You would say ‘devil cats’.”
For some reason, this makes her laugh. The little bold animals looked like mongoose and were slippery if you ever saw them. Adria kept her pace brisk but felt just fine drifting beside Ruinam, glancing often to the stately rise of his cheekbones and the pleasant curve of his mouth. In what seemed like an hour or two the Forest thinned out, showing them both the backside of a moss-covered mountain.
“I live here with my three children.” She admits, turning her eyes away briefly as she took the front and made her way around the base of the rock formation. She couldn’t say why the admission made her a bit more serious (call it motherly instinct) but she hoped it wouldn’t throw Ruinam off too much. For having whelped twins one could hardly tell a difference in her. Adria seemed perfect, like she always had.
They rounded the lower side of the craggy hill and like a vision, the many-tiered waterfall came into sight. It had a wide basin that was impossibly clear and inviting, with low, wide steps of pools that rose to meet the great centerpiece: a crashing curtain of freshwater that tumbled out from the top of the mountain. “This time I think you can fend for yourself.” Ruinam’s guide joked, slipping past the lip of the bottom-most pool and sinking into its depths.
Throwing her head over her shoulder, Adria turned back to look at the stallion that had left his home to accompany her all the way here. Her face seemed veiled, beautifully coy. “Care to join me?” She smiled, and the faint glimmer of scales rose across her luminously pink skin.
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
It almost felt unnatural to make decisions through his own volition, so used to staying quiet and following the chain of command that it felt odd to decide what to do next, though when the mare approaches him everything begins to feel right, her soft touch sending a slight shiver down the side of his neck, he enjoys the moment for a second before she pulls away, the stallion's eyes following her attentively.
When she begins to walk, Ruinam follows with a smile "Of course, you are very intriguing, I wouldn't lie to you" he matches her laugh, catching up to her quickly as she begins to tour the Island with him.
First, Adria shows him the Jungle, a display of vibrant greens and dull browns hitting him all at once as they walk, for a moment the stallion studies the jungle, though his eyes are quickly pulled back to Adria as they move on, his companion quickly following, his head close to the ground as he gathers all the scents nearby.
The tropical birds on the island sing softly as Adria speaks about them, Ruinam lifting his head to take a look at the sky, to see if he could spot any of the birds, a vibrant parrot catches his eyes, the bird is decorated in a plume of red and yellow feathers, covered with small speckles of blue down its back.
The mare then informs the visiting pair of a predator, introducing it in her own tongue, Ruinam tilts his head curiously "Devil cats eh? I don't think we have any of those back home, or at least I think we don't" she stallion grins, his companion now taking shelter under him, his fur raised at the idea of a predatory cat.
Ruinam stays quite close to the mare's side as they walk, his head turning toward her as the topic of children comes up "I've never had any children myself, I'm not sure if I would be able to handle such a thing" he laughs gently, his side pulling closer to the mare "They must be very lucky to have a mother like you" he smiles, his muzzle gently brushing through her mane as they approach the waterfall.
The heat on the island suddenly feels as if it has disappeared as the cool mist from the waterfall drifts toward them, decorating Ruinam's coat with small speckles of wet hide.
The ivory stallion stands in awe as he observes the waterfall, watching the cool-blue water cascade down the rock formation and into the mass of liquid, a rather paradisic view.
For a moment the stallion stays behind, watching the mare make her way down to enter the water, he admires her from a distance as she moves downward, his companion already somehow ahead of him and in the water.
Ruinam slowly walks toward the water, halting as she turns back toward him "Why of course" he laughs, slowly and carefully making his way into the water.
He closes his eyes for a moment as his body is drenched in the cool liquid, he moves toward the mare, relaxed by the perfect temperature as he swings his legs below him.
His nose gently touches hers as he comes to a halt in front of her, his companion comfortably paddling behind them, having fun on his own.
"Thank you for taking me here Adria" her name lingers on his tongue for a while as he looks into her eyes, soothed by the golden colour.
He was thankful for her taking him and his companion here, trusting them and inviting them to her home, they needed the time away from solidarity, from all the responsibilities and troubles and all the worries, to take a moment of quiet and peace for themselves.
For a few years now she’s wanted to ignore the fear that rejection brings. It used to cripple Adria. She was shy and unblossomed, a mare who wanted to explore but couldn’t handle the setbacks that came with exploration. When she tells Ruinam about her children and then slips into the soothing waters, the Nereid feels that old ghost come to haunt her again though she’s not sure why.
Not exactly sure.
She knows she fancies Ruinam. But it’s not the binding sort of love she dreamed about; her desire is emotionally driven and based solely on their time spent together. She likes him very much. His curious nature, his general kindness, his overall appearance and even his quirky companion animal.
But these things shouldn’t be enough to rattle her cage around the subject of children, right? Adria shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not Ruinam will be attracted to her after admitting something like that. After all she’d come too far to let withdrawn affection upset her so much.
And besides, he makes it clear she doesn’t have to worry about anything anyways.
The way his nose had slipped into her mane sent a warm shiver of delight throughout her. When he touches her again, Adria doesn’t want him to pull away. “I should be thanking you.” She smiles warmly, wading against the soft current towards him. The late afternoon sunlight from above trickled down and warmed their backs. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.” The pinkish mare admits, stretching her bowcurve neck out and placing her soft, lovely mouth against his withers. She begins to groom him, if Ruinam will allow it.
For a moment or two there’s silence between them and the dusky sounds of island animals beginning their nightly routines. When the parrot squawks and haunting lemur cries die down, Adria thinks about what her pale companion had said about being a father. “You know, having children was unexpected. But it’s been wonderful.” Adria comments to fill the void. Her shoulder is pressed into his, and she feels bold with the smell of him so strong on her scales and skin. “My family and I will always have each other no matter what. I don’t really worry about being so alone anymore.”
For some reason, admitting this leads to the water mare kissing Ruinam’s strong, sloping back. It felt right but she wouldn’t push him. If he rejected her, Adria wouldn’t be so upset this time around. She just… wanted to. She really enjoyed the way he felt when they were together like this. “Didn’t you have any brothers or sisters growing up?” She wonders aloud, her long mane drifting over the side of his ribs and trailing down into the now-purplish water. “Maybe you remember your mother and father?”
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
07-08-2019, 04:39 AM (This post was last modified: 07-25-2019, 02:24 AM by Ruinam.)
winter wonderland
Innocence is a kind of insanity the stallion was inundated by, but for now, he felt like he could make it all go away, revel in the presence of the mare as they gently move around in the water.
Ruinam watches her admiringly as she begins to speak, her captivating voice gently rising above the quiet background of the jungle and the soft noise of water slamming against the stone.
Ripples form around her and move toward the stallion as she comes close, the water now softly brushing against the stallion's white coat.
When her touch finds the stallion's withers he stands perfectly still for a moment, his head spinning in an almost euphoric state
"I haven't either, I am glad to be here with you" he speaks quietly, moving his muzzle gently along her neck until he reaches her withers, returning the gesture.
Ruinam smiles warmly as Adria speaks about her family, he has always been intrigued by the bonds that form in a tightly knit family, where not a single soul wanders alone, always backed up by either a parent or sibling.
"That sounds lovely, I'm quite the opposite, I tend to end up alone quite often" he smiles, resting his head gently on her back.
He had always been quite a stranger to his family, estranged by his lack of traits and need for solidarity, back then he did not think he needed them much, though now he longed to rekindle the bonds he had lost.
He does not linger on the past for very long though, his attention is quickly brought back to Adria as she kisses his back softly, his withers shivering slightly.
Ruinam arches his neck and runs his muzzle softly along the mare's neck, reaching just below her mane and running along her side toward her head, he presses his soft muzzle against her cheek, placing a neat kiss there as she begins to speak again.
"I had quite a few siblings, though honestly, I only knew a few of them. I think it was mainly due to how many of them there was, to be honest, my parents are probably still going at it" he smiles.
Ruinam never had a good relationship with any of his family, maybe out of the dozens of siblings his parents produced, he could have found one he liked, though he was doubtful.
"My mother and father are an interesting pair, I could never figure out if they were breeding just because they loved children, or if they were just searching for the 'perfect' child," he says hesitantly "I am glad I had decided to leave though, Beqanna is an interesting place"
The stallion's legs shiver softly as the ripples of water slowly become cold, though his back is warmed by the evening sunlight, the running water seems to slowly run cold.
He moves closer to the mare, she is warm and he feels comfortable when around her.
