Leilan
Glaciers melting in the dead of night
and the superstars sucked into the supermassive
and the superstars sucked into the supermassive
If he could, he'd rid the world of all magic.
The fact is that he can't, but that doesn't mean he trusts a magician over an untraited horse. Sure, he trusts Brennen - only because that man is his mother's best friend, currently lover, and he knew him before the water magic. In fact... in fact he hadn't quite trusted him either, when he'd returned after a year-or-so of 'practising', secluding himself. He said he was in control then. Said. Claimed. Like with Set as a whole, it's a see-first-believe-after setting.
And the latter had simply screwed it up; that is, if he had ever thought or hoped to not be Leilan's enemy.
His comment is met with a 'not exactly, but I could' - it seems they disagree on the subject then. In Leilan's mind, knowing someone goes beyond knowing what or who they are, or behave like, right at this very moment - it's a bond made by past experiences that goes with 'knowing'. To dig that deep, even as a mind-reader, one needs to spend more time than like, ten minutes (as they had so far in total), together. Have actual conversations. Oh and most importantly - it shouldn't be one-way traffic, because really otherwise the mind-reader would not be trusted.
But perhaps the dual-toned male just doesn't care about being trusted?
The stallion is now a small cat; might have been for some time, he hasn't exactly paid attention - like he hadn't noticed the man's presence in his mind of the little prod to his ice magic, because he had almost immediately after, stopped using it to talk instead. As this little animal stares at him, and challenges him to explain, Leilan scrutinizes him - unsure if he's being sarcastic or not.
A breath escapes the roan, at the same time that his tail flicks to his hocks. Giving in and being severely irritated at that fact, perhaps. "Since you asked." he starts dryly, then looks to Nerine (or rather, the east) before turning his attention to the cat. "I hear a summons from a dark god, and see the plague that comes off it. Only stupid people trust a god and do his bidding without question, but that's not the point. I know my family - they'll struggle before admitting they fear this sickness, or even have caught it maybe, but when they do they'll want to come here - a safe place, as it is said. The only one close enough to Nerine's borders to reasonably turn to, even if it's cold."
He moves an ear, in irritation with the recent past as he recalls it. "I see a green mare claiming this island, without having any friends or subjects or even previous experience with Beqanna, to back her up. But at least when I tell her I can't fully trust her, she accepts that. Perhaps in time, I might." He shrugs - could be a few months, could be a decade. He might never fully trust her, in the end. But Camomila wasn't that important now. After all, she had turned out to be the easiest... threat... to deal with, if she even was a real one. Hadn't seen her around a lot lately, perhaps she's found an easier place to claim. But she was skilled in diplomacy and she would have agreed to working with Nerine - all well and good... enough.
"I see a gathering in the night that ignores all of these things - Nerine's claim through Heartfire, as well as Cam as a whole, so I warn them they're the third. I hear they have plans to throw out the sick - that'd be half of my family and friends on here: they have come to prevent spreading it. I hear they don't trust the fairies' claim that the land is safe at all, as a reason for this - a bullshit reason, because then they could have claimed any other land instead. Besides, who says they'll keep to this place or accept Nerine as the kingdom in the north - who says they won't want to claim that as well. So I don't want them here. Easy choice." It's family and friends against unknowns who threaten those - hardly worth reconsidering.
He looks to Set. "Last I see a magician backing this threat to my home up without, seemingly, prior knowledge of them or us. One who clouds himself in the shadows of the forest, and speaks through animals because he can't be bothered to put any more effort in meeting in person, even though he should be able to do so, since he has, oh yeah, magic. One who shifts and spies through a fox' eyes and refuses to introduce himself when asked about this." Of course, it had taken some time perhaps, but he had connected those dots by now. "A magician who is lured in by a power augmenter - or her body perhaps, though she's obviously faking it - even though he's already fucking magic so why does he even need it? So yeah, looks to me like this magician values his power over creating a lasting relationship with the next-door neighbour. Really Set, with all that you're showing so far, how could you possibly be surprised that those from Nerine who wish to start a new life here, rejected your offer. An offer, I daresay, you wouldn't have liked or taken either, had you been in my position."
Besides, Nerine already 'had' a magician, so his healing offer had brought nothing to the table. Leilan didn't need to try and trust in two magicians to not screw up with their healing or protection; he'd rather, in fact, be independent of both of them. For that to happen, he'd need a safe land to give his family; and to give something one needs to own it first. And really, with his ice, and with Nerine his home, there was no other choice but this one. All that, on top of his having no other place to go if he wanted to make something of his life (to not become, secretly, a manservant -slave- like the Amazons of old had; he would sooner or later start to feel like one between the women of Nerine). On top of wanting to make a name for himself, other than the guy who screwed up and had too many children.
"I didn't have a problem with you until you picked the opposite side, Set. I couldn't have, because I didn't know you. But now that you so instantly chose against me and mine, I'll never accept you as the leader of this place. And I think, those I know to be my friends and family, wouldn't go with just any random stallion either - magician or not."
That's the only conclusion he can draw - the only thing he's seen or knows of Set right now. He doesn't even know about their blood relation; sure, he knows the names of Echion and Katriel, who'd switched his mother and her brother. But how could he possibly know anybody else to be family? Sure, he might not have lingered with the Amazons long enough to know, but honestly those who never show their faces tend to go forgotten after a few decades, and Set was no exception.
But the truth is that sometimes there are people in your family you just don't like or trust. That there are friends you'd rather call your brother, instead. That's life - especially life in his family, which is made of mules and easily-flammable stone-heads.
Sometimes, similar personalities like that, just clash too hard.
"I really don't know what this island is to you, other than just the easiest-looking place to claim - of which you were dead-wrong. But you know, you're free to prove me wrong. It just might take me a few years." Simply put, his trust is broken, and it will take a long while to repair it. He shrugs. If there's nothing much else Set wants of him, perhaps they'd better go their separate ways and accept that they can't find common ground.
The fact is that he can't, but that doesn't mean he trusts a magician over an untraited horse. Sure, he trusts Brennen - only because that man is his mother's best friend, currently lover, and he knew him before the water magic. In fact... in fact he hadn't quite trusted him either, when he'd returned after a year-or-so of 'practising', secluding himself. He said he was in control then. Said. Claimed. Like with Set as a whole, it's a see-first-believe-after setting.
And the latter had simply screwed it up; that is, if he had ever thought or hoped to not be Leilan's enemy.
His comment is met with a 'not exactly, but I could' - it seems they disagree on the subject then. In Leilan's mind, knowing someone goes beyond knowing what or who they are, or behave like, right at this very moment - it's a bond made by past experiences that goes with 'knowing'. To dig that deep, even as a mind-reader, one needs to spend more time than like, ten minutes (as they had so far in total), together. Have actual conversations. Oh and most importantly - it shouldn't be one-way traffic, because really otherwise the mind-reader would not be trusted.
But perhaps the dual-toned male just doesn't care about being trusted?
The stallion is now a small cat; might have been for some time, he hasn't exactly paid attention - like he hadn't noticed the man's presence in his mind of the little prod to his ice magic, because he had almost immediately after, stopped using it to talk instead. As this little animal stares at him, and challenges him to explain, Leilan scrutinizes him - unsure if he's being sarcastic or not.
A breath escapes the roan, at the same time that his tail flicks to his hocks. Giving in and being severely irritated at that fact, perhaps. "Since you asked." he starts dryly, then looks to Nerine (or rather, the east) before turning his attention to the cat. "I hear a summons from a dark god, and see the plague that comes off it. Only stupid people trust a god and do his bidding without question, but that's not the point. I know my family - they'll struggle before admitting they fear this sickness, or even have caught it maybe, but when they do they'll want to come here - a safe place, as it is said. The only one close enough to Nerine's borders to reasonably turn to, even if it's cold."
He moves an ear, in irritation with the recent past as he recalls it. "I see a green mare claiming this island, without having any friends or subjects or even previous experience with Beqanna, to back her up. But at least when I tell her I can't fully trust her, she accepts that. Perhaps in time, I might." He shrugs - could be a few months, could be a decade. He might never fully trust her, in the end. But Camomila wasn't that important now. After all, she had turned out to be the easiest... threat... to deal with, if she even was a real one. Hadn't seen her around a lot lately, perhaps she's found an easier place to claim. But she was skilled in diplomacy and she would have agreed to working with Nerine - all well and good... enough.
"I see a gathering in the night that ignores all of these things - Nerine's claim through Heartfire, as well as Cam as a whole, so I warn them they're the third. I hear they have plans to throw out the sick - that'd be half of my family and friends on here: they have come to prevent spreading it. I hear they don't trust the fairies' claim that the land is safe at all, as a reason for this - a bullshit reason, because then they could have claimed any other land instead. Besides, who says they'll keep to this place or accept Nerine as the kingdom in the north - who says they won't want to claim that as well. So I don't want them here. Easy choice." It's family and friends against unknowns who threaten those - hardly worth reconsidering.
He looks to Set. "Last I see a magician backing this threat to my home up without, seemingly, prior knowledge of them or us. One who clouds himself in the shadows of the forest, and speaks through animals because he can't be bothered to put any more effort in meeting in person, even though he should be able to do so, since he has, oh yeah, magic. One who shifts and spies through a fox' eyes and refuses to introduce himself when asked about this." Of course, it had taken some time perhaps, but he had connected those dots by now. "A magician who is lured in by a power augmenter - or her body perhaps, though she's obviously faking it - even though he's already fucking magic so why does he even need it? So yeah, looks to me like this magician values his power over creating a lasting relationship with the next-door neighbour. Really Set, with all that you're showing so far, how could you possibly be surprised that those from Nerine who wish to start a new life here, rejected your offer. An offer, I daresay, you wouldn't have liked or taken either, had you been in my position."
Besides, Nerine already 'had' a magician, so his healing offer had brought nothing to the table. Leilan didn't need to try and trust in two magicians to not screw up with their healing or protection; he'd rather, in fact, be independent of both of them. For that to happen, he'd need a safe land to give his family; and to give something one needs to own it first. And really, with his ice, and with Nerine his home, there was no other choice but this one. All that, on top of his having no other place to go if he wanted to make something of his life (to not become, secretly, a manservant -slave- like the Amazons of old had; he would sooner or later start to feel like one between the women of Nerine). On top of wanting to make a name for himself, other than the guy who screwed up and had too many children.
"I didn't have a problem with you until you picked the opposite side, Set. I couldn't have, because I didn't know you. But now that you so instantly chose against me and mine, I'll never accept you as the leader of this place. And I think, those I know to be my friends and family, wouldn't go with just any random stallion either - magician or not."
That's the only conclusion he can draw - the only thing he's seen or knows of Set right now. He doesn't even know about their blood relation; sure, he knows the names of Echion and Katriel, who'd switched his mother and her brother. But how could he possibly know anybody else to be family? Sure, he might not have lingered with the Amazons long enough to know, but honestly those who never show their faces tend to go forgotten after a few decades, and Set was no exception.
But the truth is that sometimes there are people in your family you just don't like or trust. That there are friends you'd rather call your brother, instead. That's life - especially life in his family, which is made of mules and easily-flammable stone-heads.
Sometimes, similar personalities like that, just clash too hard.
"I really don't know what this island is to you, other than just the easiest-looking place to claim - of which you were dead-wrong. But you know, you're free to prove me wrong. It just might take me a few years." Simply put, his trust is broken, and it will take a long while to repair it. He shrugs. If there's nothing much else Set wants of him, perhaps they'd better go their separate ways and accept that they can't find common ground.
you set my soul alight
This is a bleh post but it is a post at least.
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
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