"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
Ischia’s neighbor is close enough for comfort, so close in fact that Adria can swim to her shores in the short span of half an hour. She’s not in a rush. Eva is home and safe, no doubt secretly trying to befriend the wild parrots or discovering the hidden treasures Adria had found herself as a child, growing up there.
The vermillion mare left her with a hug and little else, knowing that she could implicitly trust her adopted daughter to do the right thing in any given occasion. Finding Eva had been such a bright ray of light in Adria’s life, one that gave her much-needed direction and returned the love she’d so desperately been seeking in all the wrong places, and that chance encounter had only led to more good fortune since her return home.
Gently easing her way through the clear blue sea, past healthy coral and out into the calm deep between Ischia and Island Resort, Adria reflected just how much things had changed since her return to the place she’d been born in. There were things to be done now, and one of those was venturing northeast in order to better acquaint herself with her new neighbors and whoever might be leading them.
Soon enough, the shoreline of the Resort begins to rise as a gray shape from the bottom of the sea. Like Ischia, it hosts a reef as well; a sort of barrier from storms and strong surf, but once past it, the shallow water seems much more clear and a bit cooler than her homeland’s. Rising from the glass sea, Adria sprays a fine mist from her nostrils and flicks her ears clear of any residual wetness before glancing towards the land.
Her mane, hanging in sodden waves across her neck and shoulders, still semi-floats even as she nears the beach. It trails to an impossible length, like her tail, and looks a bit darker and a bit more natural against her otherwise bright, scaled skin. She is undoubtedly lovely: beauty is as much her nature as being part of the water, and that elegance transfers to her voice when it rings out pleasantly in hopes of finding someone nearby.
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
It was rather weird for Ruinam to be spending time alone now, for most of his life he was used to taking orders from almost everyone he knew, although he did not dislike the way he lived, he grew accustomed to it and changed the way he used his time to make sure he always fulfilled orders.
But now he would be the one giving orders, if he could find anyone to remain in the resort anyway.
The ivory stag begins to walk along the shore of the island, his legs dipped in the cool blue liquid that surrounded the sandy beach, his crimson-red eyes watch the water below as ripples form, quickly dismissed by approaching waves that crash into the sand and reform the shoreline.
Ruinam's companion wades through the deep water behind him, panting as he struggles to keep up with Ruinam who looks toward him with a grin.
The stallion's ears perk toward a melodic voice resonating from the other side of the island, the Ivory male's head tilts as he exits the water, his legs carrying him across the sandy beach to meet the stranger.
The male bursts out of the thick jungle, skidding across the sand as he comes to a halt, usually, the male knows when someone is approaching or when someone has arrived, but this time he had no idea.
"Hello there, I am Ruinam" he greets the mare with a bow in his frame as he stands closer to her, his companion following him and sticking close to his leg.
The male wonders what brings her here today, the island was rather empty and there wasn't particularly much to do, perhaps she was here on a diplomatic visit, or maybe she was just some sort of adventurer.
Surrounded by the cry of gulls and drinking in the quaint beauty of the Resort, it was easy for Adria to be patient in hopes that someone would greet her. She waded closer to shore and left the ocean waves behind her, content to bask in a midday sun that quickly dried her salt-soaked skin before the Nereid magically exchanged her scales for common fur. The breeze was pleasant, heavy with familiar smells and giving her reason enough to feel comfortable.
She closed her eyes and stood plainly in the open to see, basking in the early spring heat until the clatter of hooves opened her eyes towards the southernmost section of thick jungle.
There, she saw Ruinam for the first time. He approached her quickly enough, but in a manner that didn’t strike her as aggressive or threatening. Mostly curious and obviously polite, the brightly colored mare who’d come to visit his home smiled as he bowed and lowered her eyes a bit to catch the flicker of movement at his heel. “Hello Ruinam and friend.” She responded sweetly. Light and fluid, her voice was twisted with an island accent. “They call me Adria. I protect and lead Ischia,” Her head rose, “so now we are neighbors.”
Looking over Ruinam and his short mane, the slope of his white shoulders and his appealing height compared to her rather small stature, it was clear that Adria enjoyed the idea of them being possible allies.
“Won’t you tell me about yourself?” The seamare wondered, “If it is too hot for your companion’s winter coat I will follow you inland.”
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
A smile slowly builds on Ruinam's pale muzzle as the mare introduces herself as their neighbouring leader "It is nice to meet you, it is lovely to finally meet our neighbours, though as you can see, it is rather quiet here" he nods, the silence rather eerie now as he pauses.
Ever since the male took over the resort he has not found much life, apart from the bird population and the occasional whale, the island has remained rather quiet, away from all the chaos of the mainland.
"I'm not all that interesting if I am honest, I used to live in Sylva when I arrived in Beqanna, now I remain here. Rather alone. My little friend here has been keeping me company, he should be alright, he finds his own ways to cool himself" he smiles as he begins to tilt his head inquisitively "What about yourself if I may ask?" he speaks softly as he turns toward the water, observing his little companion as he wades through the deep water.
Ruinam had almost forgotten to leave the Island at this point, he was meant to be doing his rounds around Beqanna, forging alliances and returning to Sylva, to seek out Sinner, someone he couldn't quite let go of yet.
"I don't believe I have been to Ischia yet" he smiles, there were still many places the ivory male would have to make a visit to, but for now, he should try and attempt to settle down and create a few alliances he could trust in.
From Sylva then. Adria’s smile is as pleasant as ever on the curve of her lips, accentuating her narrow face quite prettily without betraying her initial hesitancy at the idea her neighbor could be allied with the southlands. She was ignorant of the fact that Sylva would soon attempt to break ties and join with Tephra anyways, but in the meantime she accepts Ruinam’s polite nature and tilts her head towards the white, fluffy fox currently swimming little laps in the water.
“I was born on Ischia a while ago.” She tells him, looking every bit like a mare just coming into her season when in fact she was six going on seven. Adria herself wouldn’t begin to show middle age until she was around fifty. Her kind lived to be hundreds of years, but they weren’t immortal. Just close to it. “I left to go find some sense of adventure but living in a kingdom just didn’t suit me… so I returned home and found it nearly as empty as yours.” She chuckled politely.
Tilting her honey-yellow eyes towards the taller stallion, she admired his expression for a moment. When he smiled, and he seemed to smile often, it transformed his features into something confident and masculine. There was very little doubt in her mind that Ruinam was handsome and so obviously polite. She admitted to herself that she was slightly glad to have found him alone here… with no females to keep him company.
“If you’ve never been to Ischia we should change that.” The vermilion girl beamed, edging closer to his side. “I could make the journey easy for you and your companion - no swimming necessary.” Her eyes twinkled, only slightly mischievous.
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
The ivory male stands quietly as the mare begins speaking again, talking about her birthplace and adventure.
Ruinam wasn't really too fond of adventure, he was a lot more suited to following a chain of command, always focused on pleasing someone of higher ranking than himself, he never really took his own desires into account, though he didn't mind it, in fact he quite liked the lifestyle he had adjusted to.
The corner of the male's dry muzzle rises as she closes "See, that is a lot more interesting than me" he nods his head as his companion rushes over, this time to inspect her more closely. It had been quite a while since the last visit to the resort and Ruinam's companion had become rather restless, confused at the sudden change to a life in solitude. But now they had the chance to form a new relationship.
The mare now moves toward the white male, springing forth the idea of visiting Ischia, without even having to swim. The stallion stands quite still as the proposition rings in his ears, his head turning to face the fair mare that now stood closer.
"I would love to" he nods, still rather unconfident in his own decision, yet lured in by the adventure "How do you plan on getting us there without swimming?" he tilts his head in question, though the answer was probably quite simple, by now nothing should surprise him in Beqanna, though most things still did.
"Swimming isn't all that bad anyway, it is rather, fun." he says aloud, his face betraying a rather surprised expression "It uh, keeps you fit" he nods, walking forward toward the water with a grin.
The idea that her life was more interesting than Ruinam’s made her laugh lightly. Comparing lives in Beqanna was like comparing snowflakes. Whether Ruinam actually believed that his existence was less exciting than hers or not, he still came from somewhere and through his own actions he’d wound up here on an Island all alone.
That was interesting to Adria.
She holds still for the moment, glancing down to watch the white fox bound up from the water and back to the heel of its horse companion. It seemed much more attentive to her now and the Nereid welcomed the curiosity of the small creature. Her short neck bent in a lovely curve and she lowered her nose for a moment, eager to have the fox sniff her if he or she wished. Which reminded her - “Is your friend a boy or a girl?” The mare asked, raising her head to look out at Ruinam who’d made his way down the beach.
Then she told him, “Oh, it keeps you fit alright.” Before admiring the athletic shape of the white stallion’s backside. “I was just considering time,” She sighed happily, shaking out her mane and gracefully following Ruinam’s hoof marks down the wet beach, “since it would be easier to use my magic and get us all there in a matter of minutes, not hours.”
Smiling in a somewhat playful manner, Adria strode forward and lifted a forehoof as if to step into the waves again. When her hoof came down, though, it refused to sink. In fact her other legs that followed also refused to sink below the water. They strode confidently above the surf and kept her afloat. Adria was… walking. On top of the ocean. “But if you enjoy swimming that much… ” The mare giggled, shrugging while she stood. Glancing back over her shoulder towards the Resort’s shoreline, she kept Ruinam and his fox in her sights.
“Maybe you should try trusting me this one time, yes? Plenty of time for swimming when I’m not around.”
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
The past couple of weeks had most definitely been interesting, especially with everything going on the stallion did not expect to find himself adventuring, nevertheless he was grateful for the company.
"This little critter is a he, or at least that's what he tells me" he tilts his head toward his companion with a giggle.
The stallion halts quietly, his head following the mare as she appears from behind him "Of course. Whatever you find easier" he talks as the mare walks toward the water, both him and his companion stand curiously as the mare begins to walk above the water, Ruinam stands with his head tilted, amazed by her ability to walk on top of the water "By now I really shouldn't ask, but how do you do that?" he laughs slightly, by now nothing in Beqanna should really surprise him magic wise but the ivory male still got rather excited by it all.
The mare now asks him to trust her, Ruinam is hesitant at first but begins to walk forward. Could he manage to trust anyone else but the people he held close, the male struggled to do so with most, usually receiving the short end of the stick in gruesome situations.
"Why of course" the stallion smiles, maybe he could work on trust, slowly develop the ability to let people into his life.
Ruinam lowers himself to the ground and allows his companion to hop on to him, grasping part Ruinam's mane as he rises, now closing his eyes as he walks forward, his legs finding their footing.
Now was the time to make changes, the stallion walks forward, the salty breeze as refreshing as always as he follows the mare.
"I trust you"
Ruinam might not know it yet, but if he was willing to bridge the gap between their quiet homes then he should probably try giving Adria a chance. She’s not the common type, nor is she of a nature to double cross. Charming as she was these days, the Nereid mare still earnestly believed in the good of all those around her and that was what fueled her desire to take Ischia and keep it safe. To have children and give Leliana the promise of loyalty.
If he was interested in trusting anyone at all, by chance alone their meeting was a great one.
All he had to do was look into her eyes and see the earnest determination there. To sense the confidence and passion deep inside of her.
Adria was the trustworthy kind.
“How does anything happen in Beqanna?” She shrugged as an answer. “I was born with water-type powers but this gift - walking on top of the water without effort - just came to me recently.” Maybe he expected a little bit more of an explanation, though? “It’s a matter of pure willpower. I desire not to swim and so I don’t.” Adria grinned.
She watched him dip down and saw the way his fox, the little male animal, jumped astride his shoulders like a tiny rider stepping onto his gigantic mount and couldn’t stop herself from looking away and trying to stifle an attractive laugh at the image the two made. Make no mistake; Adria wasn’t intending to be rude it was just… well she’d never seen anything like it before!
“MMm… hmm. I’m sorry.” She tried composing herself as she turned back to look at the horse and fox. “Thank you both for taking a leap of faith. Or, in this case, a few steps.”
Serious again, the water mare winks calmly and then turns to face the ocean as it rolls past her to the shore. She inhales, feels the faint buzz of her power as it rises like a great wave inside of her. For this particular trip she doesn’t try to push herself. She sticks with what she knows best. Directly where Ruinam stands the water goes still and stops rocking, the next moment it hardens like a sheet of fine glass. The area isn’t too wide or too long; it’s large enough that Ruinam could stretch his legs which is exactly what Adria intends.
“Go ahead.” She urges him with an excited grin. He could step onto the water and not fall through, just like her. “I’ve made it so that wherever you step your feet will meet solid resistance and not sink. Like me.” The Nereid explains. She has a firm grip on her abilities by now and she’s more than certain they won’t slip.
A wild, devil-may-care smirk flashes prettily over her mouth before she challenges, “Race you back to Ischia.”
And then, she leaps forward into a gallop.
Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me
@[Ruinam] feel free to reply to this thread in Ischia if you want! Or we can end it here and start a new one; I'm totally fine with whatever you want.
Also, I'm more than okay with him totally leaving her in the dust since she's such a short little thing and pretty much hopeless when it comes to racing lol.
The white stallion's eyes remain closed as the female explains the origin of her magic, quite a curious ability to have, the ability to refuse the finer workings of earth and gravity, refusing to sink into the deep blue sea.
The stallion opens his eyes as the mare begins to laugh, his face feeling rather warm as his neck takes on a slight tilt "I am that funny now am I?" he smiles, walking closer toward the edge of the water as Adria explains how her magic works, allowing Ruinam to also walk on water with her.
At first, the stallion's frame is rather hesitant as he takes a step forward, what if she was just toying with him, though even then she had dragged him along for long enough already.
The stallion takes a step forward and instead of sinking his leg refuses to sink, just like the mare had said. Ruinam's muzzle is thrown agape as he stares at the mare in amazement, even though she had told him what was going to happen the stallion is still rather thrown back.
Ruinam moves toward the mare, an innocent expression plaiting his face, he stands quietly as the fox on his back fiddles around, trying to find a comfortable position.
Adria proposes a race to Ischia and truthfully Ruinam panics, he didn't really do much racing, and even if he did was he meant to let her win? Was he allowed to win? that is, even if he was able to.
There is not much time to think as the mare leaps forward, galloping across the sea, a rather curious sight to behold.
The ivory-male runs after her, looking at the water below as he begins to catch up, the thought of running across the sea to another island was still rather weird and honestly quite terrifying, what if something was to come from beneath and snatch him up, would Adria rescue him? He smiles, catching up to her until he is a few paces behind, he allows his body to relax, watching Adria gallop in front of him, admiring her as she leaps across the ocean. The stallion remains close to her, appreciative of the companionship she provided, he had been alone for quite a while so the change of pace was quite relieving.
Ruinam moves to her side as they both near Ischia, moving behind her as they reach the island.
The stallion halts on top of the water and offers a bow "Congratulations on your victory m'lady" he teases, looking around as he makes his way to the shore, slowly regaining a rhythmical breath as he recovers from the run, a smile spread across his muzzle.
