FLASH. Give me nostaligic childhood yearnings. [Dahmer, Smoak, Open]

[Scyla]

I'm an invisible monster, and I'm incapable of loving anybody. You don't know which is worse. Of course Scyla was not about to leave Dahmer now that she just found him! What was she, an idiot? She had worked so hard to track him and while she did treat it like a game, it wasn't like she was going to close her eyes; count til ten and then find him again. This was no childsplay. His brief confession of the happiness was all that she needed to stay. She would follow him to the ends of the world or the end of their lives. Whichever came first. She just grinned at him like an idiot, and nudged him. Still she had trotted after him to follow him to Tephra. It didn't mean that there wasn't incessant teasing of him about this Ellyse. Head of War? Did he have a mommy complex? (Well, to be fair, both of them had Mother complexes) The teasing only eased off when they came closer to the volcanic lands. When the soil darkened the rich almost black color that told her that it was here the Earth was reborn. She paused to sniff at it, to take that slight sulfuric smell into her nostrils but also the scent of growth. When she looked up, Dahmer was farther away from her than she intended and she took a few strides to catch up before snorting. "The dirt smells funny here." Not really a negative, nor a positive; merely an obseravation. Brown eyes take in the sights but her mind was racing with a million different questions threatening to spill out of the pink lips. "I can see why you live here." It was beautiful even in the coming winter and it still seemed much warmer than the field that they had just left. She stopped to smell the salty breeze, the winds that tickled her outermost feathers in a way that beckoned her to play in their dips and swells. She glances back at him with that impish grin of hers, "I cannot believe that you haven't used those wings yet...", she inhales and then changes the subject, "So where is he?" Clearly patience was not a virtue she inherited or learned in her years. A child of instant gratification when gratification came so rarely, Scyla was eager to meet her nephew.

@[Dahmer]

[Dahmer]

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
& SATISFACTION BROUGHT HIM BACK

The journey from the River to Tephra is neither strenuous nor time-consuming, though it seems to fly by faster with Scyla at his side once more. Dahmer had missed his sister (perhaps even enough to put up with her persistent teasing about his mommy issues) and her ability to read him despite his affinity for hiding any intense emotions behind his trademark lopsided grin. Her loyalty is unmatched - she had proven it time and time again - and the black beast could always count on her to give him her honest opinion of any and all situations, as one would hope a sibling would.

As they meander closer to Tephra, Dahmer can't help but to watch her more often than he watches the well-worn trail in front of them. There's something nostalgic about having the painted mare with him again, a gentle reminder of his homeland and of Desole, though he knows his sister's experiences with the Hellhound had been much different than his own. He's pleased to see the happiness that lights up her face and he willingly feeds into it with exaggerated eye rolls and scoffs whenever she pokes fun at Ellyse's rank. "You're going to get this out of your system before you meet her, right?" he inquires with a playful smirk before nipping at her neck and continuing forward, over the invisible boundary into Tephra, where the air grows noticeably warmer and more humid, and the earth becomes soft.

After a moment, he realizes that Scyla has fallen behind and he swings his dark head to gaze over his shoulder at the mare. When she catches up, the winged thoroughbred chuckles and rolls his blue eyes at her once more. "You smell funny here," Dahmer offers in return before giving his sister a gentle nudge and turning his gaze back to Tephra, where a verdant sea of long grasses turns into denser tropical foliage and then, finally, into the rocky formation that is their volcano. Rivulets of magma sweep through the territory (perhaps the black beast's favorite attribute), giving the territory a slight sulfuric tinge that he only notices now when he's bringing someone new home to join the ranks.

"It is as much a part of me as the Subway was," Dahmer confesses to his sister before letting another chuckle fall from his lips, "We can fly over the volcano for a better look, but I know you want your nephew to know what a cool aunt you are, first…" His blue eyes twinkle with mischief before he calls out across the open expanse of the territory and lets his gaze fall on the river to the north, where he knows Smoak likes to hide out with his friends, Solace and Svedka. "He will be here soon," the stallion tells Scyla, quite certain that his son will be playing Kingdom and patrolling the perimeter as usual.

Dahmer

image © celestiene

[Smoak]

Keep a little fire burning;
however small, however hidden.

Winded from his game of Kingdom with Solace and Svedka, though still full of energy, the bone-armored colt flops playfully down beside the creek and gazes skyward with bright hazel eyes. He snorts at his friends as he lay concealed in the tall grasses, "I think that Solace and I won," he gloats to Svedka tauntingly before rolling onto his back and kicking his lanky appendages into the air. The sun is high overhead and nearly blinding, so the champagne-colored colt straightens a foreleg to shield his sensitive eyes from his overwhelming brightness for a few moments, looking positively odd as he pauses his rolling to catch his breath.

He's just about to suggest another game when a resounding whinny interrupts his stream of thought, coaxing an exaggerated sigh from the colt's open maw as he rolls back onto his hooves and pushes himself upward. "Aw, Dad…" he frowns as he looks at the blue-tinged twins before gifting them with a shrug of his bone-plated shoulders and then bolting away without another word. His legs are still awkwardly long, though he's nearing a year old and the lankiness will soon disappear. In the meantime, Smoak has learned how to use them to push his lithe frame to high speeds. He bounds over one lava stream and then another, rounding a bend in the creek and the small copse of trees where Dad usually hangs out when he's not outside of Tephra doing things for Offspring, and then accelerates once more as he hits the field and a straight shot towards Dad and the winged visitor at his side.

Smoak presses his tiny muzzle to the bone plating on his chest as he comes to a sliding halt on the soft earth, nearly colliding with Dad's broad chest. He opts not to look upward at Dahmer's face, where he's quite sure a frown of disapproval would be waiting for him. Instead, the son of Ellyse turns his gaze to the winged lady beside him and gives her an extravagant bow before raising his head back up in the most formal way possible (an act of diplomacy he had learned from Solace) and clearing his throat. "Welcome to Tephra!" he offers to the painted mare before finally turning his hazel gaze towards Dad. "Why do you always hang out with horses who have wings if you aren't going to use your own?"

Candor - Smoak's greatest asset.

Smoak

lineart colored by sanaa

@[Scyla]

[Scyla]

I'm an invisible monster, and I'm incapable of loving anybody. You don't know which is worse. Scyla had a rather shit-eating grin on her face as she trotted alongside Dahmer. She knew that her nagging and teasing would get under his skin but she also knew that it was the truth. Dahmer was attracted to strong mares the same way that Scyla always tried to be a strong mare. Mommy issues, the both of them. "Maaaayyyybbeeeee" There was no promise there but she'd probably try to be on her best behavior. Afterall, she did desperately want to be a part of a family. She squealed and tried her best to dance away from his nip but there was too little distance between them for her to escape. Still she followed him without any issue. She snorted and rolled her eyes at Dahmer on the comment of her smell. "I just bathed in the river. YOU did not." A very logical defense for her lack of offensive smell. Still the grasses faded to tropical plants and lushness even though the world was ready for snow and cold. This volcano really must be something. She fussed with her wings once and watched him as he confessed his feelings about his new home. The Subway. She had only lived there for the first six months of her life. She had snuck in the Subway to see Dahmer countless times. Quickly, and firmly, the invisible monster pushed those memories out of her mind. Now there was a tropical oasis like a postcard from the Caribbean. "Oh it is beautiful..." She laughs but then, she watches him. "Maybe we teach you how to use those wings before we fly over the volcano and I have to save you from melting." The ear peircing whinny makes her pin her ears back for a moment before she sees a yearling running up to meet them. Somehow, she thought that his son would be some gangly legged colt whose mouth could barely reach the ground. The look on her face must of been something to see--it was not often that Scyla was surprised. She giggled a bit at the formality but tried not to embaress her nephew. She noticed the boney enhancements. Armor like a knight from stories long ago must of worn. Interesting. Now, more than ever she wanted to meet Ellyse to see if she had the same sort of thing. "Thank you Smoak!" She watched him for his reaction. She then turned to her brother, "Yes, why do you hang out with winged horses if you don't know how to use them?" A subtle change and perhaps a small test for Smoak. Would he pick up on it? How would he react. She had no intentions of introducing herself until she saw how the yearling progressed. How well did the Hellhound's only son train his own son?

@[Dahmer]

[Dahmer]

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT
& SATISFACTION BROUGHT HIM BACK

"I wouldn't need you dangling that over my head forever," Dahmer says in response to Scyla rescuing him from the volcano, amusement playing in the undertones of his gruff voice. He'd been to the peak of the volcano only once before, when he'd peered into the caldera with Lucrezia. The memory makes him a combination of nostalgic, angry, sad... he removes it from his thoughts, tucking it away just as Desole had taught him to do when he was younger, because feelings are distracting things.

His son heeds Dahmer's call quickly, as he is apt to do. The young boy has a streak of rebellion hidden within him that manifests itself in exploration, but he has never been the type to disrespect his parents. It's been easy to raise the bone-armored colt beside Ellyse; her soft spot for her children does not overshadow the warrior that she is, and though she is not as strict or demanding as Dahmer's own mother had been, it's easy to see the benefits of her military prowess even in the umbrella of maternity.

The champagne colt's sliding halt does, in fact, prompt a disappointed frown on the black beast's lips, but there's a hint of amusement twinkling in his bright blue eyes that, perhaps, only Scyla would be able to notice. Smoak's newfound diplomatic formality draws barely-suppressed laughter from the Commander, who knows full well that Solace's gentle soul must be rubbing off on his son. The winged stallion reaches out gently to Smoak, his soft muzzle nudging just behind the colt's poll affectionately.

"Oh, great, I'm not sure where you learned to be so blatant, but I'm going to need to have a chat with that person..." he pauses as he rolls his blue eyes exaggeratedly, "I'm just hoping that their skill will rub off on me before I try to learn, that's all."

Dahmer

image © celestiene

[Smoak]

Keep a little fire burning;
however small, however hidden.

The painted mare seems to appreciate Smoak's diplomatic introduction and he smiles excitedly at her pleasant demeanor. He nearly bows his champagne head to her again, but then a quick realization hits the young colt: "You already know my name! Dad must have told you about me," he says matter-of-factly, his hazel eyes upturned to regard Dad momentarily before his attention returns to the intriguing new stranger. There's something about her that seems familiar or comfortable, though he can't quite place it, prompting a small frown across his lips. "I don't think we've met before. What's your name?" he inquires with a tilted head.

After he questions Dad on his choice of company, Smoak scoffs at him with flared nostrils. "Mom says that to be good at anything, you have to practice it yourself, Dad." There's humor in the young boy's voice as he turns his glittering eyes back to the speckled mare, who has decided to join him in his jest. Excitement flares inside the bone-armored boy at the prospect of a new friend, his hazel eyes delving again into the mare and her facial features, unable to shake the feeling that he should know her.

The way she is quick to join him in prodding Dad reminds him of the way Solace and Svedka interact, the light-hearted prodding with never too much malice. Smoak's head tilts to the side again and he takes another step forward towards the graying chestnut tovero. His nostrils quaver, taking in her unusual scent.

"Are we family?" he blurts, suddenly full of excitement, "Are you my Aunt?!"

Smoak

lineart colored by sanaa

@[Scyla] ♥

[Scyla]

I'm an invisible monster, and I'm incapable of loving anybody. You don't know which is worse. To say Scyla was enthralled with her nephew would of been the understatement of the year. Smoak was smart, with a snarky sense of humor that she could of only guessed been inherited from her side of the family. But then again, the Hellhound had no sense of humor what so ever. So, maybe it was this Ellyse person? His first deduction was correct and she nods her head ever so slightly to confirm he was right. "I'm Scyla." There was none of the courtier talk that Smoak had started with as the invisible monster never really thought that was important. Rarely did anyone actually listen to her anyways. The grin on her face just stretched out further as Smoak scolds his father for not practicing. "Sounds like someone elses mother." It's a low comment but the sentiment pokes that Ellyse was just like their mother. A weird mother complex that Desole instilled in both of them. Instead she turns her attention back to the champagne colt. "Your mother sounds like a smart mare..." And then he bursts in and laughter erupts from her. "It must be where you got your smarts from. Yes Smoak, we are family. And I am your Aunt. Well, half Aunt?" She wrinkles her nose just a little bit and looks to Dahmer for help. Maybe he'd be more graceful in explaining to Smoak how exactly they were related. Either way, Scyla was excited to start building a relationship with him. "So what games do you play here? War? Running laps? Tracking? Learning how to defend yourself?" She brought up the games that she remembered playing as a child with Dahmer. They really hadn't been games but she had little reference on what else they could be. She looked at his bone armor. "Your armor must help out a lot!" Poor Scyla...your lack of childhood is showing.

@[Dahmer]