today, my name is pain; ALL

[vulgaris]

VulgariS

take me, take me back to your bed. i love you so much that it hurts my head.
say, i don't mind you under my skin. oh, let the bad parts in, the bad parts in.

Today has been confusing for him, to say the very least. First a blue and gold pegasus found him near the river and commanded him to this kingdom, told him he was their king now. Before Vulgaris could even ask for his name, the stranger flew off with his lover. He’d stood next to the river forever trying to make sense of the task. In the dead of night, another stranger found him, her skin like stars and her eyes withholding all kinds of secrets from him. She assured him all was well and that he was the rightful heir to the Loessian throne. She explained their past and promised to help him lead his people into a brighter future. How could he say no? He is still lost in the fog of Carnage’s curse, after all.

The sun has just begun to ascend over the horizon when he finally returns home, his face mauled and mangled into a permanent grin full of bare teeth. This place feels safe, that much he is certain of, but none of it strikes him as familiar for now. The serpent glances over his shoulder for is companion before issuing the call for the other Loessians. He summons them from Sylva, from the Pampas to gather to him. They have cowered in the shadow of the plague for too long, Starsin had assured him. It was time to be the light in the darkness.

“Thank you all for coming. For those of you I haven’t met, I am Vulgaris. As of today, I am your new king,” he explains as he lifts his chin, the new day gleaming gold across his scales. “My advisor, Starsin, has brought it to my attention that several of our people in the South remain ill despite our healers’ best efforts. We’ve also been confined to Noah’s land in the Brilliant Pampas. That time must come to an end.”

Here his eyes briefly narrow. He’s unsatisfied with the conditions they live under now and he hopes they feel the same way.

“Before this day is done, I intend to march for the eastern region. There, we will capture their healers and their Cove. We’ll heal our sick and begin our empire. Together.”

Now he falls silent as he waits for them to either agree or object. Starsin warned him that some might object to his ideas but they were not to be ignored. Perhaps they could be swayed to his side and reap the rewards that he knew they would surely sow today.

So Vulgaris is declaring war on the Silver Cove because he's insane still. The south is about to get R O W D Y, y'all.

[Starsin]

do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?

She had never been one to pass up an opportunity, and in this case, it was practically begging to be taken. 

Her days and nights have always been spent prowling for new sources of entertainment, for strings to pull on a puppet that wasn’t Ophanim (much to her dismay, he was her one weakness). Bringing harm to her angel boy was proving increasingly more difficult as time wore on, as her heart entwined itself tighter with his. Someone had to fill the void. Little did she know that it would come to her in the form of the serpent stallion, confused as he stood by the river. It had been easy, once she realized he had no memories of his life. His thoughts were a constant stream of trying to put together a puzzle he didn’t have even half the pieces to, and she had been more than happy to fill in the blanks for him. ”You don’t remember me, Vulgaris?” She had murmured as she slid against him with a feline grace, feigning offense that such an old friend would not remember her. With her gray muzzle gently touching his scaled shoulder, she carefully began threading through what memories he did have, stealthy and undetected. “I can help you with Loess, if you would like. The throne was meant to be yours all along. They’ve been so lost, without a proper King...they need you.”

She is quiet alongside of him, when he calls everyone forth in Loess. It had been impossible to not reach out and touch Ophanim as she had passed, her dark blue eyes lingering on his for just a moment longer than anyone else’s. But for now, she is focused on Vulgaris, and so that is where she stands, glowing and silent next to him. Her eyes are placid as she stares at them – keeping their thoughts at bay, for now, but eager to gauge their reactions. Apart of her hopes some of them will rebel; it’s not a secret that she thrives off chaos, and she always has. It’s why this situation was so perfect. ”Vulgaris is right,” Her voice has always been too sweet; something so entirely counterfeit, and she’s never really concerned herself with whether she fooled everyone of her true intentions or not – and now was no different. ”He only wants what’s best for Loess...and for that, we need everyone to be healthy.” There is a pause, as she tilts her delicate head, letting her gaze settle on each one of theirs, individually, ”Some...sacrifices will have to be made. But it’s for the greater good.”

Walking a half-circle in front of Vulgaris, and letting her eyes settle briefly on his sage green own, she averted her gaze back to the group, as she adds thoughtfully, ”Although, why limit ourselves to the Cove? Why not take all the healers...from all of them?” The wheels turning in her mind could almost be heard by anyone, evident by the thoughtful gaze that has settled in her eyes, hardly even seeing anyone else around her.

Hi everyone, please meet Starsin, she’s a bratty, manipulative two year old.

EDIT: I edited the ending to reflect an OOC idea I had after the fact.

[Heda]

The journey with her daughter was short lived, she found herself delving deep into Lepis' life, fascinated by how sophisticated and grown up her daughter had become. And not to mention the fact that she now had two lovely grandchildren, Pteron a sweet little boy equipped with invisibility, and one grandchild on the way. She was elated to find her daughter success in the world, and as she reached the pampas accompanied by her daughter. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her Loess, being in such proximity to the kingdom she had founded ever so long ago. Being a creature of habit, Heda couldn't help herself she bid farewell to her daughter in the pampas and set out to the gorgeous rocky hills of her homeland.

The flight was quick, and within a few minutes Heda found herself descending from the sky, and landing ever so gracefully within her country. Her gold dusted gaze flickering about in awe, it was just as beautiful as she had remembered, vibrant greenery dotted every rocky slope, a plethora of cacti bloomed with gorgeous fuchsia flowers, and curious wildlife scuttled about. This was home, and she couldn't believe that she was back. 

Her navy lobes flick to masculine vocals, hailing a meeting of the sort. It's been ages since she's turned her head towards kingdom affairs, but it was about damn time. She sauntered her way forwards towards the rather small meeting, a dapple grey stallion looms over them, his gaze shrouded with pride, as he spoke ever so eloquently accompanied by an inky black damsel at his side. He proclaims himself king, the very thought reminds her of herself, how arrogant she was when she first grasped the helm of such a noble kingdom rising up from the ashes, she can only hope that he would not make same the mistakes that she did in her youth.

She is unaware of the current state of things within Loess, how greatly the plague has consumed it's victims, subduing them into the very grasps of contagion. For she has little knowledge on the subject, as she has just returned from her waywardly travels about. Yet she seems to grasp the idea that Loess is short on healers, for the exception of the few that linger within her grounds. Yet despite the healers efforts it seems the plague is a relentless infection. Yet the idea of pursuing war in an effort to capture healers, seems rather ignorant. Stealing other kingdoms citizens, and enslaving them as healers, surely there is a more peaceful method to this madness. For enslavement is never the answer.

Her feathery plumage ruffles at the very thought of war, doesn't he know that such a kidnapping would spark complete and utter anarchy? Not to mention an alliance would be a far better option than total war on both fronts. Her gaze flickers towards the slate stag, "War is never a solution."  She steps forwards, her golden wings unfurled. "I know from experience." Her words are sharp, yet honest she had fallen down this path as queen once, things never ended well."As a kingdom do we seriously wish to steep as low as slavery? Capturing their healers and enslaving them as our own." She paces her hazel gaze meeting several faces before reaching the ebony mare and dapple grey brute.

"Can you guarantee they will obey our orders and heal our people?" She states. "And what if they revolt, and the eastern region hungers for revenge and captures several of our people, what will you do then?" Her voice thunders. "I say we cultivate an alliance beneficial to both parties." She adds, a gentle smile forming on her velvet lips. 

There is no way in hell she would let this kingdom steep as low as slavery, she built the very foundations of this kingdom with her blood and sweat, and she would not let it fall too easily to the likes of the ignorant and power hungry.

HEDA

Love Is Weakness

OG Queen Heda at the scene lol

[Brink]

i've been running through the jungle, i've been running with the wolves to get to you

He had whispered to her, told her that he could turn her into greatness. She had instantly been intrigued, of course – what yearling doesn’t dream of great things, after all? Come to Loess, he had told her when he parted, disappearing into the mist as quickly as he had found her, alone in the Meadow.

Alone. Always alone, it seems. Her mother had told her to stay in the Playground if she was so much happier there, but she’s a year old now and she’s too young to play Playground games. It is for the new foals, this spring’s foals, not her. Just like Brink, her baby brother had found his way to the Playground as well, and it was there and as she was leaving that she had found baby Bereave, nervous and just as lonely as she had been at his age. He is like her, a shifter, and he perches in his sparrow form on her back as she walks. She is grateful to have someone to talk to – to have someone else to complain about Mother with – as they cross through the Meadow and then the Forest, finally stopping on the border to Loess.

If what Vulgaris had told her was true, he’s the king here by now, and she has nothing to fear as she crosses into the kingdom. She finds the snake-man easily enough, flanked by a girl not much older than her with constellation markings glowing on her skin. She settles on Vulgaris’s other side and looks out upon their new land, a smile crossing her face. This, this is what she is meant for. Vulgaris’s voice is deep and soothing as he speaks about marching on the Cove, his tone honeyed with conviction and enough to convince anyone that his way is the way.

There are naysayers, of course – namely the disgruntled gold-and-blue mare, and Brink fixes her with an icy blue stare. Bereave, sensing her agitation, flutters away to a nearby tree, too young and too shy to want to take part in the politics. “If they do not help us willingly,” she tells the once-queen, her form shifting to that of her dingo, “we have our ways to make them cooperate.” She bares her teeth at the women, then lets out a wolf-ish chuckle. She is hungry, so hungry, and the dog has grown to suit her new, near-adult body. “If you don’t like this Loess, you are welcome to leave it.”

Brink