the dark, it burns my eyes; dahmer, any

[magnus]

The proceedings went as smoothly as one would assume they would, each falling into their respective roles, each picking up the familiar lines of diplomacy—weighing them in their hands and finding them adequate. Magnus remained mostly quiet, his gold-flecked eyes trained on Djinni, although his ink-dipped ear did flick toward Dahmer every once in a while, staying tuned to his companion as he he was taught.

When the other mare joined the group, he swung his handsome head in her direction, studying her silently for a moment before giving a roguish grin, one corner of his mouth rising into a lopsided smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Karaugh.” At the mention of her father, he chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “Your father is an enigma.” A polite way of phrasing it. Magnus and Nymphetamine had a…complicated past. They had started as comrades, until Nymphetamine had double-crossed him and his kingdom to serve the Chamber. The other stallion had apologized for the incident, but Magnus still kept an eye on him, never quite trusting the other. “He is doing well enough. I will pass along your impending visit.”

When Djinni mentioned Lucrezia, his smile widened once more. “Indeed. Lucrezia is a good friend.” A great diplomat too, but that wasn’t why he prized the peacock-feathered mare. She was a kind and smart and loyal; not traits that were easy to come by in the modern world. He glanced around as she talked about the land, mentioning a stallion as co-ruler although her did not appear. “It is quite beautiful here,” he said honestly, enjoying the foliage that surrounded them. “Tephra is indeed warm. It takes a bit to get used to sulphur, but once you overcome its bite, the land is fertile and in constant growth. I don’t think I have seen such greenery since I left the jungle.” Not even in the Gates, where spring bloomed eternal.

“You will have to come visit us one day. I have a feeling you will like it.”

out of the blue out into the loneliest place that you'll ever know
I carried the world just as far as I could but the damage had taken its toll