03-11-2021, 02:35 PM
As any foal who grew up in Paraiso, Ori was told stories of her ancestors. She remembered the way the adults would offer to tell the stories to foals who refused to go to sleep (okay, so maybe sometimes it was her, but how could she help it? There was so much to do and see and she wasn’t ready to go to sleep just then!), and instantly she would go bright-eyed at the thought of being taken to a place and time so far away, of hearing her favorite stories of brave knights and fair maidens and all those who fought to protect their kingdom, those they loved, and their very lives. Even as lids drooped over mismatched eyes, she would insist to her mother she wanted to hear just one more before she drifted off to the land in her dreams, where those heroes and their epic battles would play once more in her mind’s eye.
She remembered always wanting to be like the people in the stories. She wanted to protect her loved ones and go on incredible adventures to faraway lands. Some part of her still wanted the same, but the part of her that wanted everyone to be okay won over the piece of her that might have wanted that glory.
After all, she had been brought into this world with that gift, that power to make the burdens of those around her lighter, even if just for a little while. She had seen and felt firsthand what the effects of loss and sorrow were, and she promised herself to shine as bright as she could to ease those pains. She wasn’t a healer like Lovelace, nor was she a knight like her brother, father, or uncle, but she was a cheerful, idealistic girl who refused to allow that metaphorical rain cloud to remain over those she loved. In other words, she was Ori, as she continued to be.
However, the right now was way more important than any of that. And in the right now, there were two cousins who laughed in their reunion, gold and crimson that simply stood in the darkness and laughed in spite of what may have been going on around them, in spite of past or future. Nothing could change this present, and Ori fully embraced it.
She embraced the chill that nipped at her body, the darkness that surrounded them and the sliver of light from within it, the labyrinthine forest of towering trees so close to them, and the gentle warmth of Lilli as Ori returned the embrace. There was a joy that bloomed in her chest, that made her feel so light, but also anxiety and gloom that prickled at the back of it. She wanted to make sure Lilli was alright, wanted to somehow take and bear some of the pain that she heard in the chestnut’s voice, but for now… it was enough to stand there and hold onto her. The rest would come in its own time.
The gold champagne held on for a moment before letting go to better look her cousin in the eyes as she spoke (as much as she wanted the contact to last, it seemed more appropriate to speak when looking at someone). @[lilliana] inquired into Lovelace’s activities, and Ori nodded. “Yup!” The unicorn healer had a special place within Paraiso, always so kind and calm. Her demeanor was like the calm strips of water that crisscrossed their ways across Murmuring Rivers; always able to adapt, willing to give, and there for anyone whenever they needed her. The ebony unicorn had always loved the inhabitants of the valley, especially the children, and had taught each of them many things. Before she’d left, she had noted the growing amounts of time that Brighid was spending with the healer and the reverence in which she referred to her.
“Aletta was here some time ago, but a seer like Marcelo saw it. He saw the waterfall and so she had gone… did she find him?” Ori offered a small smile and nod, humming in agreement. It was surprising to hear that this is where Aletta had been in her absence from Paraiso, but it was good that from the sound of it she had been able to see her daughter again, however briefly (the anxiety that the champagne may never see her own mother again attempted to claw its way up the back of her mind, but she shoved it down once again. This time was for Lilli, not those kinds of conversations) The girl of brandished gold remembered when the mare of starlight had come back, and how amazed and happy Valerio had been to see her once again, and she was happy for them.
Speaking of the love she had seen, the story of new love that had blossomed between her brother and the diplomat he had met at Windskeep seemed to hold Lilli’s attention for a bit (which made Ori privately happy) “Emily… she sounds lovely.” Her cousin’s voice was gentle as she considered the abridged tale that the odd-eyed champagne had shared. “Yeah, she is. It took mom a little while to fully let her in, but she’s…” Ori pondered for a moment, attempting to figure out the right way to sum up her feelings on her brother’s lover. “She’s super amazing. They’re lucky to have each other.” Her mind wandered back to watching the pair together, and how well they worked side-by-side. The way they would look at one another and the way Marcelo would get lost in his words and memories about her in much the same way that their mother would when speaking of their father.
The chestnut mare’s voice broke her from those thoughts, “And Alvaro? Please tell me him and Sutton have a brood of children.” Ori snickered, the thoughts of her family of various shades of gold being replaced with her silver black cousin and the bay mare who he shared his affections with. Alvaro had always been so serious when Ori had seen him, and he never seemed to want to join into the antics that the other foals got into (herself included). So she had tried putting on a straighter face whenever he was around so he didn’t feel unincluded or unwanted. Whether she could hold that facade on a maw that was almost always sporting some form of smile or he noticed or appreciated the gesture was still one of the great mysteries of the world to Ori.
Regardless, though, he did care deeply for everyone in the valley, even if he wasn’t as eager to play with everyone else, and the girl figured that none knew that more than Sutton. The one who the warrior would get flustered for and break his stoicism for (however briefly it showed). “It would be kind of disappointing if they didn’t, wouldn’t it?” She began, a mischievous grin upon her face before it melted more to one of contemplation, “Although a brood may be too much to call it… I mean, they have two, but I’m not sure if they’re planning on having any others.” There was a pause for a moment before the sudden memory of something else that Lilli wouldn’t know but should lit up in her mind, “Oh! Speaking of Alvaro, he’s the new Guardian!” There had been a ceremony where Valerio had formally given his duties over to Alvaro, and all those in the valley that could be there had been in attendance to show the new Guardian he had their respect and support.
After she asked after Lilli’s story and her welfare, the russet mare’s face shifted again. Ori quietly wondered if she had said something wrong or if she shouldn’t have asked at all, but the mare’s familiar voice stopped her before she could say that her cousin didn’t have to say anything if she didn’t want to, “It’s such a long story, Ori.”
“That’s alright,” Ori dropped her tone to match the more somber mood, although it still had it’s cheery edge, it wasn’t as loud or sing-songy as it got when discussing matters of family. “I like long stories. I think there’s more to the ones you can’t tell all at once.” Maybe that was just her way of looking at it, the way of a girl who adored the stories she was told but couldn’t sit through a whole thing at once. She would get so squirmy and need to move, to run before she could come back and listen to more. There was a lot to think about with each segment, and she liked to think about it as she played with her friends and family.
However, it was Lilli’s next words regarding the subject that caught the gold champagne off-guard. “I can show you what I’ve seen.”
What did that mean, exactly? Her brow raised as the question raced through her mind. Sure, she was used to magic, and even used to those who could see things she couldn’t, as her mother could dig through history in her mind and recount it piece by piece and her brother could see the roads that could be traversed, but to somehow show someone all of that was beyond her personal experience. Then again, she was always open to new things.
“Okay… yeah! I’m ready when you are.” Although Ori wasn’t entirely sure what she should have been preparing for, it was Lilli, and if it were some kind of magic, she knew that because it was Lilli, she would be gentle and cautious with it. She was among the safest of hooves Ori could find herself in.
At her tentative question regarding the darkened skies, her cousin casts her gaze skywards before returning her blue eyes to Ori’s brown and green ones. “Welcome to Beqanna,” She shook her head once more, leaving silken tresses to follow that motion, “As hospitable as it was in my mother’s stories.” Things grew ever more interesting. Beqanna, Ori repeated in her head. A land where Aletta had been, if not where she came from. The name did sound familiar, and maybe she had heard the grey mare say it before, but she couldn’t remember right this minute if maybe she was imagining it.
“The solstice came and then it stayed. It’s been dark here for weeks. We’ve been fortunate in Taiga…. It’s to the west of here and only a few hours by hoof.” So Lilli had found somewhere else to belong. It was good to hear that. And, of course, hearing that her cousin had found a home made Ori curious about that place. “I think I’d like to see it, if that’s okay? If you’d like, we can go together.” If it was somewhere precious to her family, then it was already precious to Ori, and based on how hesitant Lilli had been to discuss her experiences in Beqanna, Ori began to think that it might be good to stick around for a while and make sure everything was alright. Who knows? Maybe it could become a place where she could belong as well.
She remembered always wanting to be like the people in the stories. She wanted to protect her loved ones and go on incredible adventures to faraway lands. Some part of her still wanted the same, but the part of her that wanted everyone to be okay won over the piece of her that might have wanted that glory.
After all, she had been brought into this world with that gift, that power to make the burdens of those around her lighter, even if just for a little while. She had seen and felt firsthand what the effects of loss and sorrow were, and she promised herself to shine as bright as she could to ease those pains. She wasn’t a healer like Lovelace, nor was she a knight like her brother, father, or uncle, but she was a cheerful, idealistic girl who refused to allow that metaphorical rain cloud to remain over those she loved. In other words, she was Ori, as she continued to be.
However, the right now was way more important than any of that. And in the right now, there were two cousins who laughed in their reunion, gold and crimson that simply stood in the darkness and laughed in spite of what may have been going on around them, in spite of past or future. Nothing could change this present, and Ori fully embraced it.
She embraced the chill that nipped at her body, the darkness that surrounded them and the sliver of light from within it, the labyrinthine forest of towering trees so close to them, and the gentle warmth of Lilli as Ori returned the embrace. There was a joy that bloomed in her chest, that made her feel so light, but also anxiety and gloom that prickled at the back of it. She wanted to make sure Lilli was alright, wanted to somehow take and bear some of the pain that she heard in the chestnut’s voice, but for now… it was enough to stand there and hold onto her. The rest would come in its own time.
The gold champagne held on for a moment before letting go to better look her cousin in the eyes as she spoke (as much as she wanted the contact to last, it seemed more appropriate to speak when looking at someone). @[lilliana] inquired into Lovelace’s activities, and Ori nodded. “Yup!” The unicorn healer had a special place within Paraiso, always so kind and calm. Her demeanor was like the calm strips of water that crisscrossed their ways across Murmuring Rivers; always able to adapt, willing to give, and there for anyone whenever they needed her. The ebony unicorn had always loved the inhabitants of the valley, especially the children, and had taught each of them many things. Before she’d left, she had noted the growing amounts of time that Brighid was spending with the healer and the reverence in which she referred to her.
“Aletta was here some time ago, but a seer like Marcelo saw it. He saw the waterfall and so she had gone… did she find him?” Ori offered a small smile and nod, humming in agreement. It was surprising to hear that this is where Aletta had been in her absence from Paraiso, but it was good that from the sound of it she had been able to see her daughter again, however briefly (the anxiety that the champagne may never see her own mother again attempted to claw its way up the back of her mind, but she shoved it down once again. This time was for Lilli, not those kinds of conversations) The girl of brandished gold remembered when the mare of starlight had come back, and how amazed and happy Valerio had been to see her once again, and she was happy for them.
Speaking of the love she had seen, the story of new love that had blossomed between her brother and the diplomat he had met at Windskeep seemed to hold Lilli’s attention for a bit (which made Ori privately happy) “Emily… she sounds lovely.” Her cousin’s voice was gentle as she considered the abridged tale that the odd-eyed champagne had shared. “Yeah, she is. It took mom a little while to fully let her in, but she’s…” Ori pondered for a moment, attempting to figure out the right way to sum up her feelings on her brother’s lover. “She’s super amazing. They’re lucky to have each other.” Her mind wandered back to watching the pair together, and how well they worked side-by-side. The way they would look at one another and the way Marcelo would get lost in his words and memories about her in much the same way that their mother would when speaking of their father.
The chestnut mare’s voice broke her from those thoughts, “And Alvaro? Please tell me him and Sutton have a brood of children.” Ori snickered, the thoughts of her family of various shades of gold being replaced with her silver black cousin and the bay mare who he shared his affections with. Alvaro had always been so serious when Ori had seen him, and he never seemed to want to join into the antics that the other foals got into (herself included). So she had tried putting on a straighter face whenever he was around so he didn’t feel unincluded or unwanted. Whether she could hold that facade on a maw that was almost always sporting some form of smile or he noticed or appreciated the gesture was still one of the great mysteries of the world to Ori.
Regardless, though, he did care deeply for everyone in the valley, even if he wasn’t as eager to play with everyone else, and the girl figured that none knew that more than Sutton. The one who the warrior would get flustered for and break his stoicism for (however briefly it showed). “It would be kind of disappointing if they didn’t, wouldn’t it?” She began, a mischievous grin upon her face before it melted more to one of contemplation, “Although a brood may be too much to call it… I mean, they have two, but I’m not sure if they’re planning on having any others.” There was a pause for a moment before the sudden memory of something else that Lilli wouldn’t know but should lit up in her mind, “Oh! Speaking of Alvaro, he’s the new Guardian!” There had been a ceremony where Valerio had formally given his duties over to Alvaro, and all those in the valley that could be there had been in attendance to show the new Guardian he had their respect and support.
After she asked after Lilli’s story and her welfare, the russet mare’s face shifted again. Ori quietly wondered if she had said something wrong or if she shouldn’t have asked at all, but the mare’s familiar voice stopped her before she could say that her cousin didn’t have to say anything if she didn’t want to, “It’s such a long story, Ori.”
“That’s alright,” Ori dropped her tone to match the more somber mood, although it still had it’s cheery edge, it wasn’t as loud or sing-songy as it got when discussing matters of family. “I like long stories. I think there’s more to the ones you can’t tell all at once.” Maybe that was just her way of looking at it, the way of a girl who adored the stories she was told but couldn’t sit through a whole thing at once. She would get so squirmy and need to move, to run before she could come back and listen to more. There was a lot to think about with each segment, and she liked to think about it as she played with her friends and family.
However, it was Lilli’s next words regarding the subject that caught the gold champagne off-guard. “I can show you what I’ve seen.”
What did that mean, exactly? Her brow raised as the question raced through her mind. Sure, she was used to magic, and even used to those who could see things she couldn’t, as her mother could dig through history in her mind and recount it piece by piece and her brother could see the roads that could be traversed, but to somehow show someone all of that was beyond her personal experience. Then again, she was always open to new things.
“Okay… yeah! I’m ready when you are.” Although Ori wasn’t entirely sure what she should have been preparing for, it was Lilli, and if it were some kind of magic, she knew that because it was Lilli, she would be gentle and cautious with it. She was among the safest of hooves Ori could find herself in.
At her tentative question regarding the darkened skies, her cousin casts her gaze skywards before returning her blue eyes to Ori’s brown and green ones. “Welcome to Beqanna,” She shook her head once more, leaving silken tresses to follow that motion, “As hospitable as it was in my mother’s stories.” Things grew ever more interesting. Beqanna, Ori repeated in her head. A land where Aletta had been, if not where she came from. The name did sound familiar, and maybe she had heard the grey mare say it before, but she couldn’t remember right this minute if maybe she was imagining it.
“The solstice came and then it stayed. It’s been dark here for weeks. We’ve been fortunate in Taiga…. It’s to the west of here and only a few hours by hoof.” So Lilli had found somewhere else to belong. It was good to hear that. And, of course, hearing that her cousin had found a home made Ori curious about that place. “I think I’d like to see it, if that’s okay? If you’d like, we can go together.” If it was somewhere precious to her family, then it was already precious to Ori, and based on how hesitant Lilli had been to discuss her experiences in Beqanna, Ori began to think that it might be good to stick around for a while and make sure everything was alright. Who knows? Maybe it could become a place where she could belong as well.