"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
The water felt nice on her skin. She stood knee deep into the water, not too deep to dare the risk of being pulled down the river, but deep enough to enjoy the spatters on her skin. Beqanna had changed once again, but this time it had happened in a less traumatizing and shocking way. Or well, that was how it was for Jinju at least. This time she didn’t lose a mother due to the change, neither had she lost her home. And she had not yet learned others had.
Being more comfortable going around and about had her curious to explore the changes. Soon she would go on diplomatic visits. The first together with her father, but the second one with one of the Taiga’s other residents. One she maybe considered a friend. Her journey had brought her to this new place once before. She had followed her father’s scent that time, not all to sorry to disturb his time with her youngest sibling. After all, she was family too, right?
Today was all about herself though. Last time she had been busy meeting her little sister and spending some casual time with her father. This time she would explore and enjoy the new adventure. The new land was foresty, much like the forest itself, but much more like the Taiga’s redwoods. Jinju would be lying if she would say she didn’t like it. It felt very much like home, hence it made her feel comfortable. Relaxed even.
But was a lone wolf ever truly relaxed? Her developing pregnancy had to show slightly, just a slight rounding of her stomach, but even if she had not been expecting, slacking was never an option. That much she had learned from her father. Her jet black nose dips towards the water, a shudder running down her sun warmed back at the coolness. With a soft sigh her ruby eyes close, letting the silence engulf her for a moment.
I had a dream that we were dead, and we pretended that we still lived
Sometimes he feels as though his life has been one change after another. As though nothing will ever remain sane and stable, comprehensible in the way he imagines Beqanna once was. He does not remember the before, but his mother had told him stories. She had lived lifetimes, with lifetimes yet to live, but nothing she had told him even closely resembled this.
Perhaps it is not surprising then that he stays in the shadows, lingering and surviving, but not truly living. His body might be hale and whole, but it is almost as though the living death he had physically endured for most of his life had seeped into his soul. Had blackened and tarnished the thing until he has become little more than half alive in spirit, even if he is no longer so in body.
And perhaps he simply thinks too much. Perhaps he has spent far too much time alone, far too much time with his own thoughts and conjured demons. Perhaps he needs company, a friend. Perhaps he just needs to try living for once.
The river seems like a good place to start. It is new and fresh, no memories to weigh him down. A place he can begin again. And then, as though the universe knows what he needs, he spies a familiar face. A friendly face.
At first he hesitates, unsure of his approach. He is a poor friend, and he is not entirely certain of his welcome, but with a deep breath and a steeling of his heart, he steps from the trees. Before he can think any further, can change his mind, his feet have carried him to the edges of the gurgling river, to the side of the black mare that stands in relaxed silence. “Hi,” he says softly, a bit hesitantly, as the tips of his hooves touch the water. “It’s been a while.”
Perhaps not the most original greeting, but then, it’s also been a while since he has made any conversation at all.
The cool water lessens her thirsts. Though the sun and the heat did neither bother or harm her, she too needed it. Perhaps not as much as others during these hot days, her body used to these kind of circumstances. The water does not extinguish her fire. It’s as much part of Jinju as every other natural need.
When she lifts her head, one ear twitching and turning in the direction of her visitor, a few last drops of water roll down her lips and back into the water. Little circles on the surface shows where the river and its droplet reconnected again. Slowly she opens her ruby eyes and sways her head in his direction. ”It sure has been” she replies, a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips.
Curiously she takes him in, gaze dancing over his body. This time she didn’t need her fire to make the gorgeous gold of his points shimmer, the sunlight did it for her. He hadn’t changed at all, except for maybe gotten a bit older. ”Still beautiful” she teases. Jinju is simply not able to help herself. She clearly remembers how she had fawned over him and it would be a lie to say she didn’t felt a bit flustered at the thought. Even if she could blame it on her youth. Still could.
Her ruby eyes twinkle and there is a slight tingle in her stomach. Before her stood her first crush. Not even that long ago he had made her heart leap, turned her into a puddle and flustered her. As a child she had reacted upon seeing the gold on his body. Still beautiful as ever. Perhaps Jinn was why Terran’s golden hooves had lured her in for a chat. ”How are you, Jinn?”
I had a dream that we were dead, and we pretended that we still lived
He is fairly certain he would always be uncomfortable being admired. He has never considered himself beautiful, or frankly even remotely attractive in any way. Of course, until the lands had buckled and magic had been stripped from them, he hadn’t been attractive. His dark frame had been far too thin, bones pressing against skin pulled too taut, coat clumpy and dull with eyes the milky blue color of death. His skin, so thin and fragile, had a penchant for splitting, lesions forming and breaking across bone, oozing liquid no living creature should ever be able to produce. In one small way, he had been fortunate. With his ability to heal, he could close those gaping wounds, make his skin whole once more. But he never could heal the deathly rattle of his bones nor the sickly tint and gaunt stretch of his skin.
Now he is whole and hale and plump, with a dark coat that glimmers in the sunlight and glittering golden accents that shine with health. His eyes, a pale shade of gold, are deep and intense, no longer stained by death. Even so, he cannot shake his origins as easily as Beqanna had shaken loose his defective skin. He still, even to this day, is what he had been born.
So her complement rattles him, bringing a warmth to his skin that would have shown a telltale blush had his dark coat not hidden it so very well. Gaze ducking down, he transfers those pale gold eyes to the water’s surface, studying it in minute detail as though it had suddenly changed in the last thirty seconds. Clearing his throat, he mumbles a somewhat indistinct, “Well enough, I suppose,” before shaking away his discomfort and slowly lifting his eyes again.
“I…” Clearing his throat once more, he continues in a firmer tone, “I’m glad I ran into you. It’s been… lonely. What have you been doing?” He pauses, a faint smile tugging at his lips as his voice takes on a slightly teasing note. “Anything fun I should know about?”
She had been too young to fully understand what the Reckoning exactly did. She even hadn’t been aware of her own powers back then, let alone did she realise that Beqanna’s magic came in very very many forms. To Jinju magic was something great, beautiful even – just as Jinn himself. The dark side of it she had yet to see. Except for the Reckoning itself, that was, it was hard to imagine it could get any darker than that.
Lives had been ruined. And yet, in this special case, it had gotten better. But was that what the fairies had envisioned? Jinju is smiling, slowly turning herself around in the water to take a few steps towards the riverbank, though not yet ready to leave the cool water. ”You look good” she replies, nodding as she reaches out.
His words have her smiling wider and it is what has her pushing through the boundary she had forced herself to keep. Her nose gently lands upon his shoulder, as a silent greeting one would only exchange with a friend. ”It’s good to see you too, Jinn. And I’m glad to drive away the loneliness.” Nobody should be lonely, not if it was up to her.
”I’m doing okay, every day is a little bit easier” she answers him, pulling back in favour of looking at him with her ruby gaze. As she sees him smile, hers grows. Leaning in she playfully nips at the side of his muzzle. ”Just the same old, same old, or do you, perhaps, have a fun story to share?”
I had a dream that we were dead, and we pretended that we still lived
In many ways, she is fortunate to have been largely oblivious to the toll the Reckoning had taken. He is one of the lucky few who it had benefited. He had had no true home to be ripped from and few friends to miss. His family had suffered, though not nearly as greatly as others. They are like cats, his family, always landing upon their feet. He is truly the unfortunate one, or had been. Not like his dear twin, nor his mother or father, all perfect in their own ways. Nothing like him. His own father had been horrified by him. Had wanted nothing to do with him, with the reminder, the curse, that he is.
And then it had all changed and he had become something new. Something whole. Sometimes he misses the rest of it. The good parts, the light and healing (such a strange and dichotomous creature he had been). But it is better to be normal, in his opinion. Better to be whole, accepted.
And she proves it. Jinju, with her easy friendship and teasing little nips, proves just how much he had been missing before.
Lifting his gaze once more, he finds her with those golden eyes, a lightness suffusing those pale pools as a grin tugs at his lips. It feels almost odd, that smile. It is so rarely he is given cause for such delight. Shedding any discomfort that might have lingered, he simply enjoys the moment. Enjoys the warmth of friendship and the easy, bantering conversation. “Well, I suppose easier is better than harder,” he teases, a faint glint of humor in his amber gaze.
Her next question brings him sharply back to reality, though it is no fault of hers. She couldn’t possibly know the bland banality his existence had become. Really, had always been. Only, before, he’d had his misery to keep him company. Now it is simply himself. Lips twisting wryly, he shifts his gaze out across the river, considering the distant bank as he determines how best to answer that question. Finally, with a short, half-hearted laugh, he confides, “I’m really rather boring, I’m afraid. No fun stories to tell.”
The moment their gazes meet again, one ruby one amber gold, she decides that she likes it to see him smile. Even if it’s a grin and not really a smile. It looks much better than the earnest expression he usually wears. Not only did it look better, he seemed more alive too like this. Jinju returns the smile, and has to hold herself back from reaching out to playfully nip at his shoulder as she laughs softly. ”Can’t deny that. You won’t hear me complain about it either.” Didn’t make her wish she could turn back time to happier moments.
His expression falls and Jinju can only blame herself for it. She would’ve been frowning if she could, but she sure as hell didn’t like the dark turn their conversation had taken. The water still flows past her legs, tugging on her feathers, as she takes a few steps closer to her black and gold friend. ”No more sad faces, mister” she tells him teasing, this time actually nipping at his skin before jerking her head sideways as to invite him on a stroll.
She doesn’t wait for his answer, instead turns and starts walking. All without bothering to move to the shore, confident enough to walk in the shallow waters. The current wasn’t strong enough to drag her down and she actually liked the feeling. It was nice to be somewhere else for once, even though it still reminded her a lot of home. Which brought her to the next subject on hand.
”Do you like forests?” she asks Jinn, her head swaying a little to the side so her ruby eye can look at him for a moment. Then her eyes are on the ‘road’ ahead. She did feel comfortable walking like this, but she definitely didn’t want to slip and fall down on her swollen barrel. ”I do like them. I live in the pine tree forest we called Taiga.”
I had a dream that we were dead, and we pretended that we still lived
In that moment, he realizes just how grateful he is to have her there. To have the reminder of friendship, of all the good things he has been missing while he hides away in the safety of his lonesome forest. It’s so easy to forget when one is always alone, to forget that there is more in this world than misery and self-consciousness.
She is happiness. Something he had too easily overlooked, forgotten. The easiness of their conversation, the camaraderie and quickly rekindled friendship, is something he hadn’t even known he was missing.
And the way that she teases, the nip, her lips and teeth gently tugging at dark skin, a reminder that there are better things waiting out there for him. That his loneliness, his unhappiness, has been entirely self-induced. Especially now, when he is free from curses.
Her next question amuses him, causing his gilded lips to tug into a faint grin, his pale gold eyes to crinkle just a bit at the corners. He follows her easily enough, his steady footfalls matching hers, hooves digging into the soft, damp earth of the riverbank. “I suppose you could say that,” he replies readily, amusement laced through his soft voice. “I’ve been living in Beqanna’s forest for years now.”
Her home sounds interesting though. A forest, something like his perhaps, filled with the heady scent of pine and soft, springy needles under foot. He could see why she might like it. “If one likes forests, Taiga sounds like just the place to be.” he offers, a faintly teasing glint to his golden eye. He reaches out to nudge her shoulder briefly, almost hesitantly, in a cheerfully companionable gesture.
Even though their first meeting had been short, it had left an impression on her. His gold had quite amazed her and he probably wouldn’t have forgotten about her either. The way she had used her powers to make his gold shine and dazzle in the darkness of the forest, not to forget to mention that the first thing she had bluntly said had been ‘beautiful’, it surely would surprise her if he had forgotten. Or not left Jinn with a strange first impression of her.
Time has passed since then, but Jinju was actually glad to see him again. It was good to see a familiar, unbiased face as so many things happened all at once. Like she was finally allowed to take a little break. It shows in the smile she offers him, as her gaze leaves the path ahead to look at Jinn for a short moment. ”The forest makes a good home” she replies, a light nod of her head. She preferred foresty areas over open fields too.
His reply has her chuckling and she’s nodding her head once again, this time with a big grin tugging on the corners of her dark lips. ”To those who like it, it is” she confirms, still smiling widely. Then, her ruby eyes widen slightly, and she stops dead in her tracks. The water still flows past her, gently tugging on her feathers, as Jinju slowly turns to look at Jinn.
”Would you, perhaps, like to see the Taiga?” How much she would love to ask him if he wanted to live there, it would be better to take this step by step.
