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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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 boys are back in town // Any
    #1
    The family needs you.

    That's what Raul had said to get him to leave. 

    The family needs you. What he'd meant was, mom needs you. And no, not actually needs or wants us, she is perfectly content going batshit in the woods. But hey, she's been torturing this sister we have that I knew about but never mentioned except now she's escaped our psycho mother and things have gotten out of hand. And poor Belle was at the center of the mess. 

    Belle, who was their half sister by the one they'd called uncle all their life. Not that anyone said that aloud. It was only gathered in snippets, pieced together from Sabra's rambling rants, and Belle's patchy memory. Belle, who'd been a half feral child by the time she'd found Raul. It had been shocking enough to convince the elder twin to leave his own new family (or perhaps just a convenient excuse), and to persuade his younger brother to do the same. 

    Tana had regretted it every day since. 

    Sabra had been unrecognizable. Gone was the mother who'd doted on the twins, treasured them. In her place was a mad creature, as likely to strike out in violence as she was to have anything lucid to say. The thread of madness that had always lurked in her blood now ruled the fallen mare. And she showed no signs of wanting to change that. 

    If she'd seem fit to give up on them, he didn't know why they should bother trying to make her better. Belle was the only clear victim in all of this. She'd been born to be a pawn, only to be discarded once Sabra had lost her reality. And for some god forsaken reason, Raul had made it his mission to fix something broken beyond repair. Well, Tana was sick of it. 

    Sick of the exile, the false sense of responsibility muffling their real duties, and sick of giving in every time his brother called. So today, he was back. Quietly slipped into the meadow, as unobtrusively as a stallion so distinct looking could. Belle didn't deserve to be cloistered with the mare who'd done her so much harm. It was time he got them both back to reality, and maybe begin his life again. 

    OOC: Yeah, let's open this can of worms
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    #2
    An old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind


     How sweet it is to still be doted on, to be loved. Each and everyday, Cyprin vibrates with joy as mother and father both place kisses on her forehead. Her brother is slightly rougher, but affectionate nonetheless, before bidding them all farewell and leaving to tend his kingdom.

    This is the only life that Cyprin knows: adoration and shelter.

    She only truly knows Loess, and more specifically, the cave in which she was born. A few of her family members lurk within it. It undoubtedly has a beautiful view of Loess, but Cyprin’s reclusive nature has strained her ties with the kingdom. She knows no one except her kin and Meraxes. By finding so much comfort in the familiar embrace of her parents, she didn’t have the urge to reach out and explore until lately. It has stunted her social growth, but still she tries as she slips away from home into the meadow where there are rolling hills and blooming flowers.

    Her floaty musings are distracted by the opalescent man standing – no, brooding – only a short ways away. Although her mind is leery, her heart inclines her interest in his favor and guides her step by step into his presence. Her draconic eyes ripple between colors as uncertainty swallows her. ”Hello,” her voice is delicate and warm and just speaking the one word elicits a small surge of confidence. Her gaze simmers to match her coat. ”I hope what’s going on will soon pass,” his frustration is nearly tangible, but she doesn’t make an attempt to pry. Instead, she diverts to the one thing she knows how to do. ”I’m Cyprin,” her gunmetal eyes flicker across his curiously, somehow noting familiarities before leveling back on his face. ”You have a pretty coat,” like Briella, she muses.


    Cyprin
    lior and nayl

    picture by Jiamin Zhu on pinterest


    @[Santana]
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    #3
    He is all horse today, aside the leathery wings folded demurely by his sides. Why draw unneeded attention when he is here to watch? Still, there is only so much that can be done to hide his nature, and where the sun lights on his coat, colors fracture outward. He is a beacon in any setting. 

    Only a matter of moments pass before he is approached, but it is not by one he would have pegged to be so bold. A young mare, little more than a child, in colors that shift from blue to grey to silver. She eyes him with doubt, and he doesn't miss the mercurial way her irises shift. His own mismatched eyes glow softly in recognition. At her soft greeting, the older beast smiles half heartedly. "Hello Cyprin," he nods his head in greeting. "I think it might be beginning to." He responds, deeply hoping it's truth he speaks. 

    In curiosity, his gaze follows the blue filly's to where it falls on his own pelt. Her assertion that he's "pretty" draws a more sincere smile to his solemn expression, and even something resembling a hoarse laugh. 
    "Yeah, it kinda is, huh? Nothing to yours though." He indicated the deep colors that shone across the girl, now even across her eyes. The eyes, they really were something. A trait he knows, even if indirectly. His own eyes don't shift with his moods, simply glow when the dragonfire inside burns especially bright. There is something there, he knows it. But she has not pried into his life, so he will follow suit. Perhaps patience has finally found him. 

    Instead, he looked around, and noted no similarly toned creatures. "Is your family near? Or is this a yearling's adventure, seeking your own fortune?" Tana had fond memories of he and his twins' own forays off island, once they deemed themselves too old to be contained by its limits any longer. Restlessness seemed a natural part of growing up, and she had the look to her. 

    @[Cyprin]
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    #4
    An old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind


    His smile is enough to warm her heart as she tries extracting him from the shadows of his mind. ”Good,” she murmurs into the cooling air as it tousles her forelock aside. Her slit pupils observe him, admire him, all while her amiable grin remains beautifully stretched across her lips. ”The mind can be a dark place sometimes,” not that she has experienced it herself, but she has heard tales. Even her brother admitted to a period where he was dangerous and murdered someone in his rage. It frightened Cyprin briefly, but she knows better than to think he would harm her, no matter the circumstances.

    To hear what he endured, how he perceived the world, and how he destroyed relationships, berthed caution in Cyprin. She will be damned before falling into a rut so deep, she tells herself, but life always has a funny way of working.

    Breathing in, she can nearly taste the cusp of autumn looming over Beqanna. A low hum reverberates through her core in delight, amplified upon hearing the stallion’s compliment of her. If anything, that is a weakness. Her parents created a love of compliments within her, and it’s reflected in a bright burst of color throughout her eyes before they return to a steely blue again. ”Thank you so much,” her voice is silky, her words sincere. ”And, I’m sorry, what is your name?” She didn’t fail to notice his draconic wings loosely coiled to his sides. As easily as it could be a familial trait, Cyprin understands there are others out there that aren’t kin, but share reptilian similarities. It dumbfounded her initially, because she only knew her family to possess such mystique, but Castile warned her eventually. He helped her to understand and comply that not everyone is to be trusted.

    Yet, she wants so bad to see the good in everyone.

    There’s a flicker of hesitation when he asks about her family (should they be watching her around strangers?) but his tone is soft and brimming with humor that entices her to answer honestly. ”Not nearby, no. I live in Loess with my family, but I wanted to get away for a bit and explore,” she likes to think she can defend herself if anything went awry in her travels, but she is still so young and so naïve. ”What brought you out to the meadow?” Sweeping her obsidian tail, she tries to dually search his expression and response for hints as to what burdens him.


    Cyprin
    lior and nayl

    picture by Jiamin Zhu on pinterest


    @[Santana]
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    #5
    His brow quirked upward in mild amusement at her worldly assessment. So very certain for one so young. Then again, life didn't discriminate when it handed out trials. Perhaps she had every reason to be certain. He nodded in sage agreement with Cyprin, feeling the first threads of relaxation work through his spine. "You're very right. I hope you always have a kind soul to help you when the darkness comes." He wished her, exhaling a deep breath laced with pale smoke. 

    Maybe... Maybe his family wouldn't be in the state it was if there had been more kind souls involved. Or maybe his mother would have gone mad no matter what, and it had only been a matter of time. Maybe he and his siblings were all just ticking time bombs, and some day her madness would infect them too. 

    Now there was a frightening thought. How long would it take, before some battalion of warriors would be summoned to put down an unpredictable, rampaging dragon? For surely his alter self would enjoy the opportunity to tear free. If insanity was his birthright, he hoped there was a way to circumvent it. 

    He shook away the grim thoughts, registering the question the girl in front of him had asked. "Sorry... That was rude of me. I'm Santana. Or Tana. Either one is fine." He shrugged. His name was his identity, and right now, he wasn't sure how much he wanted to do with it. Beside, there were better things to talk about now. Loess, huh? Well that narrowed things down. 

    "Exploring is a great use of a day. Have you seen anything special since you've been out?" He asked, wondering off-handedly at what treasures could be found. He couldn't help that part. A piece of him would always be seeking to collect the beautiful and the unique. 

    At her last question, the pale stallion flexed his winged in indecision. How much should he say? Sure, Cyrpin seemed harmless enough, but you really never could tell, could you? And besides... If his suspicions were correct, there may well be things he shouldn't say. So, he kept it brief. 

    "A fresh start. Its what I'm looking for. For my little sister and I. She's had kind of a rough start, so... I guess I'm looking for someplace quiet she can start building her confidence. Any idea where such place exists?" He asked, not really thinking it would lead anywhere. His own tail thrashed in quiet frustration. They'd probably end up sheltering in the woods for a while. He still remembered the layout pretty well. 

    @[Cyprin]
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    #6
    An old soul with young eyes, a vintage heart, and a beautiful mind


    ”I’m trying to enjoy it while I can,” she admits simply as she solemnly shrugs. There’s so much darkness and manipulation in the world, that it will only be time until it blindly gropes for her, too. Mother was so quiet once until she tasted power over others. Her brother experienced something similar, but with far more experiences to have broken and molded him. Like the youngest child she is of the brood, Cyprin observes and learns at the expense of her peers and kin. Where they suffered and struggled, she noted to avoid. It’s seemingly so easy to slip and lose grip on what is right that she desperately overcompensates with good in hopes it will last her and save her.

    Beneath his stare, Cyprin realizes she was holding her breath. She doesn’t understand why, or even what makes him seem so familiar. They’ve never met. He does not share the familial cave in Loess and yet there is a sense of kinship that slowly trickles through her, confirmed only when he finally offers his name.

    It was delayed, but she does not penalize him or scoff. Rather, her expression betrays her shock. Her reptilian eyes flash to a shade of yellow before easing back into silver-gray as everything pieces together. She almost speaks out of turn, but is deterred by his continuation of reasons why he is here. Cyprin listens attentively, nodding periodically until questions are returned to her, much like a game. ”Not exactly. The trees don’t exactly fascinate me. It seems so… congested.” Trunks surround and tower high above her, and she acknowledges them with a furrowed brow. The hard lines of her face soften with quiet contemplation when she returns her focus to Santana. ”Quiet? Not exactly. There was a war, and there are a lot of politics involved throughout every land. You just need to decide which side you can deal with.” In her ignorant eyes, Cyprin sees only two battering forces – Loess and its friends versus Tephra and her friends.

    Even as she mulls over the territories, her thoughts continue to revert back to her original thought. Inclining her head with an amused grin, she says, ”This seems a tad awkward, but if you’re the Santana I think you are, then I’m your aunt.” There’s a pause because this seems farfetched indeed. She is still so young yet holds a title that would demand age and experience. As another thread of confirmation and support, she adds, ”You’re Castile’s son… my brother’s son…”



    Cyprin
    lior and nayl

    picture by Jiamin Zhu on pinterest


    @[Santana]
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    #7
    He enjoys their shared conversation, the easy rhythm out settles into. Until he is reminded of his manners and shares his name. The look on her face, however brief, is enough to confirm that there is some link between them. He does not know yet what it is, but the reaction is enough that he knows she recognizes him now. 

    The conversation carries on as before, (the niceties must be observed) but the feeling has changed. There is a tension now, and he waits for it to break. Still, he also registers the news of a war. A better thing then, that he had not charged straight into the kingdoms without knowing their alliances. The draconic stallion listened to his young companion's brief description of the current climate, and made a private note to explore these things more when he had opportunity. Too often survival depended pin knowning who's side you were on. 

    Speaking of which.

    Her smile takes him off guard, but even more so do her words. And there it is, the link between them. He blinks, unsure how to react. He could deny the connection, perhaps. But she seems certain, and he knows proof wouldn't be difficult to find. And at his sire's name, his ears twisted around uncomfortably. 

    "I'm a little surprised you've heard of me. Us." He admitted, a gravelly note in his voice. He would have thought Castile had shut out that chapter in his life. The one that had resulted in he and his twin. By all accounts, the elder dragon had moved on with his life pretty quickly, and had very little to do with the twins once they'd met. A spark of his youthful impertinent nature desperately wants to resurface, but he drews it back in forcefully. This girl, Cyprin, had done nothing wrong. He wouldn't take out his childhood distress on her. Instead, he shook the feelings off. It's history. He's here about his future. "Yes, Castile sired me and my twin. But that was a long time ago. I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered with the past." He smiled weakly, head shaking. "Where's your favorite kingdom? I'll try to find it, maybe it'll be a good fit for my sister and I." It was a poor attempt at getting the subject back on track, but he didn't know how else to proceed. 

    @[Cyprin]
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