"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
09-28-2018, 07:08 AM (This post was last modified: 10-16-2018, 05:24 AM by Leilan.)
Leilan
a dragon who couldn't be hurt on the outside could have so many ragged holes inside
If there's one promise he'd like to keep in his life, it would be this one. Always come home to her.
She is home in every single way possible, so it's not that hard a promise to keep. Just something he needed to tell Brennen about first; that his queen now demands his presence, and that he has no choice to move to the sister kingdom instead. The man had understood, or at least, accepted that. Leilan could never be more happy to have a good friend in Brennen than now.
And so he's decided. Not that it was ever a choice in his head, anyway. With a determination unmatched by anyone but himself so far, he makes the trek over the northern half of the world as if it takes him just about two steps;
scoots across the border to go find her and tell her;
now he's back home.
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@[Breckin (removed tag on edit) Past-K, pre-birthing I suppose (: sorry it's such a short starter but obviously he has nothing much to do or say than just catch up with her and cuddle
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
She found herself standing watch more often then not, her burdened mind normally somewhat relieved by the simplicity of gazing below her cliff top perch. It had become a favored spot of her, one she retreated to on a regular basis when the usual inter-kingdom business allowed her to do so. Except for lately, she no longer found that simple grace in losing herself to the distant horizon, not after having let the formerly imprisoned Klaudius slide past her that winter's night. It had slowly begun to consumer her, seeping into every possible thought of hers in some form or another. Stunned is what she had been initially, followed by guilt laden for even allowing him to breeze through her, for allowing it to happen, and then slowly anger had begun to ebb its way to the forefront. This emotion she clung to fervently, out of fear of what kind of feelings would take over had she let it go; she was in no state of mind to allow panic to take root, fearing that she might lose herself entirely if given the chance.
The subtle throb in her neck was a daily reminder, poking at the irritation with herself and the purple stallion both. She would have to do something, something soon--he was a danger and threat to others in Beqanna, and she hardly cared about how much of threat he might pose to her yet.
Movement in her periphery causes her vacant stare to refocus, head turning toward the familiar shape of Leilan as he nears the border, returning from heaven knows where. Aside from a few of his family members that called the kingdom home, and maybe herself, he had no loyalty to Nerine, so it didn't surprise her that his roaming led him away at times. But she'd grown used to his frequent presence, and even though she understood the need for him to leave, it did little to dull the ache in her heart every time the need called for him to do so.
She's there waiting to intercept him just beyond the breach of boundaries, a shy smile pulling at her lips when he finally comes into view. "Welcome back," she offers, and she wonders how long it will take him to notice the obvious wound along her crest.
@[Leilan] here you go because I guess I always can find some quick muse for Leilan :|
a dragon who couldn't be hurt on the outside could have so many ragged holes inside
He’s restless by nature, she’s right about that, but one thing neither she or he had expected before, was that he wasn’t entirely whole without her. That she had stolen a piece of him unexpectedly on the day they met, and he’d added yet another piece of his to that part of him that she held, every time he left. In the end, that big gaping hole had consumed him; he’d become that empty shell of himself, a heartless ghost, using whatever means he was given to feel alive - anger, or fake love - until even that was not enough. And in the void of his mind he’d finally concluded he just needed to be with her or hear her say that she’d be happier with someone else; either which way he needed her to be happy, and she’d restored him that day but kept his heart all the same.
He didn’t mind, of course. It just meant that even Ischia’s tropical climate that had reminded him of his old home, no longer felt like home. It had become home less and less and so, here he was. Switching places.
She was there, of course. Somehow (he suspected she had her own secret hiding place from where to overlook the kingdom borders most close to the river) she had taken it upon herself to make a point of greeting him whenever he visited. But it’s like he promised her once before. He’d always come home to her, and today he was going to make that definite.
Her sly smile is the first greeting that he gets, perhaps not too obvious for an outsider, but it just means she’s happy to have him back. At least that’s what he makes of it; she doesn’t need words to get him to love her anyway, she just has to open up that tiny bit to let him in where others meet her stony walls. So, he greets her with a smile, a touch, a breath upon her skin, a hug, and a stir, stop of motion when he reaches a spot on her that is definitely missing some hairs - and skin?
He makes a displeased sound, though it is absent; not directed at her, and followed by a sighed, ”Oh daina,” sounding almost defeated. He should never have left at all, should have just stayed and sent someone else with his messages. Or well, should maybe just have done them one by one instead of all in one go. Would have made it more plausible that he could be here when this happened. If not to prevent it then at least be here the very next hour.
He retreats from there, looking for her eyes instead, questioning her. ”Who do I tear apart for that?” Of course, it’s possible that it was an accident. But knowing her nature, he doubts that she would have been walking the cliffs with someone on such a slippery spot that they’d grabbed her like that to prevent a fall. Because, well, she wouldn’t have gone to such a place or not continued when the road became too small for two, so that’s just like, well a chance of one in a million.
So a definitive bite mark like that - well, obivously someone had wanted to hurt his queen, and for that fact, they would be sorry. One way or another.
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@[Breckin] so I guess I’m starting with Italian nicknames till he finds one she likes. Thank Simeon for that.
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
The muscles that line the curve of her neck twitch unintentionally beneath her dotted skin. Again her body betrays her when the path of Leilan's affectionate advances bring him to the area so recently made sensitive and raw by Klaudius, the dull ache alighting to something more significant when he happens upon it. A sharp hiss elicited by pain threatens to break through her lips when he stills beside it, but the firm press of her lips together confines it to little more than a small sound produced at the back of her throat. It didn't surprise her really, that he would find it within the time span of a minute.
In all actuality she had prepared for the moment, setting her mind so clearly directed at spilling the truth should he ask her how she had come by the shallow wound. But a nagging lapse of uncertainty has her considering the outcomes of not playing into the field of purest veracity. No, it would not be worth it--at all. And her charcoal lips curl into a self-loathing grimace, internally reprimanding herself for even entertaining such an idea. Honesty was a virtue she sought to strive for, and one so deeply attuned to her on a personal level, like Leilan especially, deserved nothing short of such a stance.
"Klaudius," she says flatly as her eyes shift upward to meet with his questioning stare. Breckin holds his gaze briefly before stepping closer again, pressing her nose softly into his chest to better make a connection. He might have already responded to the name, maybe he had said something, or asked something, but it didn't matter. She'd already suspected he would ask her the Why and How and so she'd already begun to close her eyes when she'd made her contact with him, funneling her own memories gently into his. Better to get on with it now then.
She showed him her questioning the purple stallion with the backdrop of a winter's storm behind her, the memories she'd found of Klaudius' children and two mares he had raped without so much of a trace as remorse, one of which was a Leviathan, and the other his own sister. Breckin showed him all of it, including the part where he'd issued that unsettling threat, "Was that enough evidence for my damnation Breckin? Am I the monster you still see? Cuz I can show you more failures in time... When I am free of this place and we meet again. This time, my name being screamed from those pretty little lips." And finally when she had left with little more than a sad smile, unwilling to bait him further beyond his outburst, followed by the well-placed grab of his atop her crest as he fled from Nerine into the storm-laden sky.
With a tired sigh, she severs the connection, stepping slowly backward, eyes cast downward in not so subtle shame. "He escaped, and I couldn't stop him."
a dragon who couldn't be hurt on the outside could have so many ragged holes inside
She’s silent a short while, until his gaze meets her brown eyes and she utters a name not unfamiliar with him. Klaudius. He frowns. ”I knew he was a prick, but - ” Honestly, Klaudius had just been an annoyance. He had been in Ischia “for Krone”, he supposed, though really all the lavender man seemed to ever think about was himself. Krone had done nothing when several of Brennen’s recruits had moved to Ischia, hadn’t even tried to meet them, but when they voted her out of leadership Klaudius had insisted on her leaving - with the unforeseen (or was it?) consequence of having the former queen get abducted from Tephra’s shores.
Leilan had never liked him, to be honest. But he also had never had any interest in the lavender pegasus, until now.
Breckin’s head is already upon him, sharing her memory. He hadn’t asked for it, so it comes a little as a surprise (if she was going to do that with everything that upset her he figured he had better mentally prepare) but he understands when she comes to the parts at which Klaudius really comes of as a narcissist. Only cared for himself and, okay, the children he’d sired, but the scaled roan knows that all too well - and knows that Klaudius should have had some remorse if he were sane. Apparently, he is not, favouring a threat to Breckin (in their shared state of mind, perhaps she can feel the heat of his blood boiling at that point) and a very unnecessary bite upon escaping.
It’s all over quick, but not quick enough for his mood to change from anger to fury. He’s not blaming Breckin, like she does herself however, but his jaws have clicked together too tight to utter a word for a few seconds, and when he looks at her, his eyes have taken an unnaturally black colour. ”He touches you again, he’s dead.”
But he has a mind, and he can shove this feeling aside, letting the black fade for something blue. For now. It still smothers, but he swallows it, knowing he has no way of venting it right now. And besides, he doesn’t want to see her hurt. ”It’s not your fault. You had every right to question him.”I just wish you had taken someone with you to stand guard. But he doesn’t. Will not. Because he knows she is already beating herself up for it, and knows she has a certain sense of pride in her, too.
”Breckin, dove. I was going to tell you, I’m staying here.” Seems he has bad timing because honestly perhaps she wouldn’t believe he had been planning on it for some time, but instead was making that decision now for her protection. Sure it helped, but that was not the point. ”So I’m thinking my first duty shall be to train you in self-defense... but, anything else?”
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@[Breckin]
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
Breckin lifts her vacant downward stare in time to catch the oddly voided stare of Leilan's. Her brows knit together in appraisal, slightly unsettled by the usual brightness that had suddenly drained from his eyes. She felt as though she was staring into the same kind of blackness left in the sky in the absence of the stars--dark and endless and consuming. But she knew the usual intensity his emblazed eyes normally shone with was still there; she had felt him tense beneath the influence of her memory, felt the sharpness of anger rising. Though she couldn’t necessarily read emotions as they presently occurred, with the time she had spent rummaging through her own memories, she’d grown familiar with the way his aggravation manifested. And the words he speaks afterwards are proof enough of such an emotion.
But the burning black of his eyes change again quickly enough, shifting to something softer. Her pale ears drift attentively forward again, having unknowingly dropped closer towards her crest. “Maybe, maybe not.” She says it offhandedly, not really wanting to dwell on the blame she truthfully did put on herself for longer than necessary right this minute. “Either way, I learned a lesson for future knowledge.”
“Are you really?” The leopard mare’s snowballing thoughts suddenly evaporate to the brightest clarity when Leilan’s news cuts through her ramblings. The reasons behind his decision hardly mattered to Breckin in hindsight, knowing with a selfish confidence that she was part of his desire to stay in Nerine. And the reasons beyond even that she didn’t care much for either. All that she knew and cared about was that he would be staying.
She’s already tucked herself beneath his neck, letting the warmth of his embrace and words soothe her fraying core. “I’m so happy to hear that, Leilan.”
“Self defense?” she questions softly. Not something she had considered before admittedly, and it was true she wasn’t the most skilled when it came to combat. Obviously physical fighting was not her strength, or preference, but perhaps self defense was an idea she could get behind. “Probably not a bad idea.”
She grows quiet at his question, considering what he had asked in its entirety before answering. “That depends, honestly. What are you interested in doing?”
a dragon who couldn't be hurt on the outside could have so many ragged holes inside
She reacts offhandedly to his claim she has nothing to blame herself for; it’s instantly clear to him then that she beats herself up for it - a suspicion confirmed - and he looks at her like he would when reprimanding his daughter - but she neatly avoids this disproval of her reaction by fitting into a hug under his neck, asking if he really is staying this time then, and he just nods, thoughts preoccupied.
He wonders how much of a lesson it has really been for her; yes, she might now understand better that some horses just are dark on their own and will never really have remorse, that they get a kick from beating up and overpowering others, that there are sociopaths and narcissists in this world - but he doesn’t really believe she is ready for them. Hence the self-defense.
Probably not a bad idea. He frowns above her neck, seeing the bitemark clearly from there. ‘Probably not bad’ doesn’t begin to cover it in his opinion, so he huffs. ”If I wanted to, you’d be dead by now, love. You’re far too late to respond to an attack.” He moves to nudge her shoulder from his position, and look her in the eye, taking a step back. ”Rule number one. Keep the distance. No-one can bite what they can’t reach,” he looks at her intently, ”And make some noise. If screaming is beneath you, then yell at them in anger, but draw attention to your situation.”You know I’ll come running, don’t you. But he can’t know where and when she needs him if she allows her attacker to maim and rape in silence, and then he’ll get away with it.
Not on his watch, though. He guesses that Breckin still underestimates it, in a way. He can easily think of the excuses she’ll make. It won’t happen to her like it did to others, he just said it to scare her, she doesn’t need a bodyguard because she is Leviathan, she has had warning so she will be on guard; but she can’t always be on guard. And she’s a little late to start training, even if he can get her to understand the basics. No battle reflexes. And so he knows what he’ll be doing the next year or so; he has the developed a supreme vision now to watch her without having to constantly be in her personal space or interfering with any conversation, and even if she doesn’t like it, he’ll find a way to do it in secret.
A sigh follows at the obvious change of subject though. What would she have him do - what he’s interested in. ”You’re my everything, if that wasn’t obvious yet. So anything that makes your task easier really... though... I must say I’d probably fail at diplomatic negotiations, so don’t go there.” A makeshift frown - surely she already knew that. ”I suppose if you have no other use for me, I can always try and follow you around as your personal guard.” He tugs at her mane. But she should know he’s secretly serious about it. She’s his chosen family as the brotherhood creed wild say, no, more than family. Heck, if his own family threatened her he’d still stand by her and face them. All of them. Hmm, probably a good thing that Scorch likes her - but still, it’s a point. He nuzzles her forehead. ”Daina, you’re my blood of choice, as they call it in Ischia. And I’m just selfishly switching rules number one and two so that I can be here with you.”
And you’re probably never getting rid of me.
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@[Breckin]
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
In the brief quiet between words, Breckin's thoughts collect further. Though the Amazons of old carried legacies of warriors as leaders, it was simply not something the current Leviathan queen could attest to being. Offensive strikes were not particularly her forte, nor did she necessarily possess the skills to hold the weight behind such actions--who knew, perhaps that would be something that could change over time. But for now, her belief lied in the midst of the pen being mightier than the sword. Self-defense however, was just a way to protect herself should the need arise, and Leilan was correct in believing it to be a beneficial idea for her sake. And even if she didn't necessarily fear the fate that might await her otherwise, the fact that her kingdom family looked to her for guidance is drove her decision further.
With her present abilities, distance was definitely something the leopard mare could uphold with logical thinking, but acting in defiance of her curious nature would be a difficult barrier to overcome. Her inquisitive soul often led the course of her actions, drawing her nearer to those that her normally intuitive senses would otherwise have her keep her further away from. When he steps away, she meets his concerned expression steadily with receptive, dark eyes.
As he pulls back, the formerly hard lines of her expression melt to something softer, instantly warming her features at his admission. He frowns stoically, but it only makes her smile as he continues to speak. No, diplomacy might call to him yet, but if she could gain knowledge in physical strengths, then maybe he would be able to gain a well rounded verbal skill set in due time. Or maybe not.
“Elaborate on ‘follow’.” Her eyes narrow in scrutiny, wondering exactly what his definition of follow you around entailed. She’s not opposed to a personal guard within reason, but to have someone constantly shadow her throughout Beqanna on a constant basis was not entirely appealing. Even if that someone was the recipient of her affections.
Her eyes close on their own accord when he brushes against the ivory plane of her forehead, allowing the weight of his words and touch to infiltrate her carefully laid walls. “And I’m selfishly happy of your selfish choice ”. Opening her eyes, she meets him with a coy smile and shallow tilt of her head. “Now what’s the next lesson, so that I can selfishly stay here longer with you?”
a dragon who couldn't be hurt on the outside could have so many ragged holes inside
She's silent, but looks at him intently when he tells her the most important thing. Distance is everything. She's been soaking in what he's saying with such an absorbent dark gaze that he almost forgot what he was trying to say, then had to refocus for the last part. Almost begging her to understand. Scream. Please. Anything that prevents you from being hurt that much without my knowing. I don't want to have to scrape you off the ground afterwards and be unable to do anything about it.
Pulling back to tell her she is loved does give him a little bit of a clearer head, then, though his not-that-joking note doesn't go unnoticed, and she knows how to pick the right (or wrong) word out. Elaborate on 'follow'. But he kindly refuses to do so, grinning at her, guilty as charged, flashing the colour-changing orange at her a moment, then looks around to see if the heat vision goes as far as the new hawk-eyed-vision that came with it. Hmm, maybe not as far, but pretty far nonetheless. And bonus points for the vague warm spot that turns out to be a squirrel in a bush. "I suppose I can see farther than you." is all he admits to. She doesn't need to know how far he sees. Or the fact that he's still determined to be indeed following around, about at the edge of his vision. She'd probably way too self-conscious all the time, and nobody trusts a queen who's constantly looking over her shoulder.
He grins at her mention of selfishness, and the third time she mentions the word, he grins mischievously at her. A bit too much, perhaps. Nudging her shoulder with a cheeky smile of his own, he then looks at her as if challenging her. "Now we test. See if you take the warnings to heart. If you can really keep someone away, when they come for you."
He presses his forehead against hers to look into her eyes. "I'll give you a head start, since I doubt Klaudius would be allowed so near to you in the first place..." and retreats, one step back, eyes very much fixated on her, in a newly colour more nearing to lime than it would be when he was only joking. This thing is new to him, too, always having had girls willing to cuddle up to him if he played his cards right, but somehow the idea of chasing her around is much more thrilling. To have to put the effort in it, like a hunt. It's a game - she's the game.
"Run."
The game is on.
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@[Breckin]
Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
His order resonates within her, surprising her, jarring her from the slightly dreamy state she had lulled herself into from being this close to him. It hadn't helped her cause, the way that he had settled his forehead aside hers and had been entirely distracting. And she had huffed in obvious displeasure when he had moved away from her yet again.
When the haze of thoughts begins to clarify again, she walks towards him slowly, stopping close enough to look sternly in the bright green shade he held within his eyes before raising her head towards him. Placing a light kiss along the firm set of his jaw, she holds her lips against him longer than necessary. "Don't tell your Queen what to do, warrior," she chides in a whisper against his scales and before she withdraws she plants a firm nip playfully on the same spot she'd touched him gently only seconds before. Shooting him a mischievous one-sided smirk, she slips past him, brushing along his coarse side as she moved beyond him and towards the treeline that skirted the edge of the denser woods of Nerine.
It's there that she pauses, as if on second thought, and her head turns back to searches for his colorful stare again. "I'll humor you this time." That was a lie, she would always entertain and consider whatever he asked her to do, and he knows her well enough to know that everything she has said has been in good humor. But she doesn't take the situation lightly, understanding that there were lessons to be learned here in one form or another. The deep tone of her eyes hardens marginally, and she offers Leilan one more brilliant grin before digging her ivory hooves into the softened soil and lunging into a run.
As she wove through the great, slumbering trees, she had to swiftly kill the girlish impulse to laugh, thoroughly enjoying feeling of the cool touch of the coastal winds as they broke and parted around her. It felt as though she ran for an eternity, pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion; how long had it been since she had done that? Sides aching and heaving for sufficient breath, she settles herself to lean against a sheer cliff face, appreciative of the way the cold stone pressed into her heated sides. He had said to run, but she couldn't run forever and simply put she was a stubborn thing.
As her breaths normalized, she allowed herself the simple luxury to close her eyes, letting her mind dip into the veil of memories that surrounded her. She sensed nothing presently, but she kept her mind well attuned and open to the onslaught of her cognition feathering across someone's unsuspecting past.
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