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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


    so long and good night - any
    #1
    Burning on, just like a match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know.
    And what's the worst you take from every heart you break? And like
    the blade you stain, well, I've been holding on tonight.

    The moon was high in the sky yet it was encompassed by thick, rolling thunderclouds which rumbled menacingly throughout the densely wooded forest. Flashes of lightning danced nimbly amongst the dark clouds but the rain had yet to fall. The shadow child could certainly smell it coming – a freshness lingered in the air and he could feel the anticipation building throughout the forest.

    It wouldn’t be long now before the storm unleashed its rage upon the land.

    But the blue roan remained unconcerned with the threat of the looming storm. He would be well-protected beneath the thick branches of the towering trees and so he continued his meandering pace. The shadow child had finally returned back to his roots and he longed to reacquaint himself with his ancestral lands.

    He almost always travelled at night for his day blindness could quickly turn nauseating if he ventured anywhere without adequate enough shade to shield his eyes. Ever since the incident with giant fairies and traitor demon sheep (he only wished it had been a terrible nightmare), he had to turn away from the sunlight and let the night embrace him as if he were a long-lost son. But he flourished within her arms, and he happily continued his never-ending journeys throughout the whole of the continent under the cover of darkness uninhibited.

    As Michaelis passed underneath a particularly robust oak, shadow tendrils began to follow after him greedily. They latched onto his sides and continued to gather almost alarmingly until he was almost completely concealed within their loving embrace. They came to greet, to chide, to protect jealously, to remind him of his place within Beqanna for they missed him so. As they violently flailed for positions closest to his face, he never stopped moving but instead nickered soothingly to them in hopes of settling down for the rest of the journey. His mismatched eyes of yellow and warm brown glowed with a deep contentedness for he knew he would always be welcome here. The shadows began to relax and spread out amongst the trees once more after their initial greetings, yet some tendrils stubbornly clung to his skin and would do so for quite some time. But he did not mind their company for they would always willing open their arms for him and he would do the same in return.

    A sharp clap of thunder and the clouds finally opened up to drown the land below with a torrential downpour.

    Michaelis merely sighed softly and continued forward, a gentle smile upon his face.

    What an appropriate homecoming for the shadow child.

    Michaelis
    ( The Shadow Child )


    [I've haven't written anything in two years so please be gentle. Also any and all please talk to me cause I've missed writing but be warned I'll be rusty as hell]
    Reply
    #2
    i think i'm better on my own but i get so lost in you
    She is alone tonight, though she doesn’t mind. Alone meant she was free to fill her time with whatever – or whoever – she wanted. Alone meant she could pick her way through the meadow and along the river, until she found something or someone to occupy her time, if only for the evening.

    The storm, though, had driven her into the dark of the trees.

    This was less ideal, disliking the way the darkness seemed to swallow her whole. It smothered the galaxy of her skin, dulled the vibrant white of her hair and her legs, and entirely engulfed the black of her eyes. The conditions would have been perfect if she was planning on crafting some kind of illusion, finding that it took less work when her target already could hardly see her in the low light. Ever since her encounter with Ashhal, though, her love illusionism had lost some of its spark – it just wasn’t quite as fulfilling when she wasn’t trying to wreck one of her mother’s ex-lovers in the process.

    Thunder rumbles overhead, and through the tops of the trees she can see the bruised, swollen clouds. The rain follows soon after, and though the canopy above shields her from the worst of it, there is still no escaping. Droplets slide across the svelte curves of her sides and her hips, they dampen the thick tendrils of mane that fall in waves and cling to the arc of a slender neck.

    When she finds him she is dripping and radiant, with the galaxy coloring running like water until it fades into white, and impossibly black eyes that watch him with a sharp but curious gaze. She sees the tendrils of shadows that cling to him, and her fascination in them could have been mistaken for a fascination in him. But then her gaze noticeably shifts from the wisps of darkness and instead settles on his face, and unwittingly a simper curls at the edge of her pale lips. “Does darkness always follow you?”

    i think i'm better on my own but i'm so obsessed with you
    desire


    @[michaelis]
    Reply
    #3
    B E Y Z A
    remember me when i’m reborn as a shrike

    In the darkness of the storm, among the shadows of the trees, Beyza glows. She would stand out here even if she did not call upon a light - her crystalline features always had seemed to repel shadows. They skittered away from her, recognizing her as something beyond just their opposite - beyond light. All these years later, she still remembers how the first time she had met Jamie he had not even been able to look at her.

    Her relationship with that shadow-creature and shadows in general has not simplified at all - she flips almost daily between disdain for the things that reject her and a fierce longing for them. Today, though, Beyza does not try to diminish herself to make the shadows feel more comfortable. She does not need much enhancement to stand out so the glow around her is gentle, colder than the moon or the farthest stars, a crisp and cool white that is an echo of the lightning that is flashing overhead, over the boughs of the trees.

    When she happens upon them, she’s not sure which she is drawn to more - the stranger for whom the shadows dance, or the near-stranger with a galaxy captured in her coat. Desire she recognizes from Pangea, though their exact relation to each other remains a mystery. She would be dazzled to find out she could possibly be related to someone with so much colour, so much life. Her white gaze is unblinking as she takes the pair in, curiosity dulling the edges she has discovered in herself recently. She lingers a step too far away, just slightly askew enough to be odd, as though she were a spectre waiting for an invitation to join.

    In reality, she just does not want to see the shadows flee on her account. Does not want to witness that rejection even from the incorporeal.

    Her head tilts to the side slightly and her tone is friendly enough as she makes an effort to infuse it with warmth as she follows Desire's question for the stallion with one of her own - her curiosity getting the better of her. “And if so, do you think it could be trained to follow anyone?” It may be a foolish question, but it would seem that - even despite her continued glow - today is now a day she wants to befriend the shadows.



    @[michaelis]
    Reply
    #4
    Burning on, just like a match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know.
    And what's the worst you take from every heart you break? And like
    the blade you stain, well, I've been holding on tonight.

    Michaelis had come to a conclusion over his careful observations throughout the years – people would always be drawn to the darkness despite themselves.

    For some it may be not unlike himself, comfortable and eager to blindly step into night’s fickle embrace. But most others stepped into the shadows hesitantly, guardedly. The shadow child found that many approached him because of a burning curiosity. He did not inspire trepidation in others so he remained approachable for those whom wished to gain a better understanding of the shadow tendrils that remained flickering about his face and body.

    His observation would come into fruition even on this stormy, dark night.

    A mare crosses his path and his long strides quickly break and subside to a quiet halt before her. The shadows thickly gather for but a moment and then spread back out once more whenever she appears to be friendly, settling down to graze along the sides of his neck in anticipation of their conversation.

    Although the tendrils appeared aggressive at times, the shadow child did not possess the ability to manipulate them fully. He could only use them as a sort of camouflage, concealing him from sight but even this was rendered useless during the full power of sunlight. His abilities when it came to controlling shadows were relatively harmless to those around him, but he remained content in the relationship he continued to have with them regardless.

    The stranger’s form blended into the darkness well, mirroring that of the night sky on a clear winter’s night. Her dark eyes were keen and intelligent, dare he even say hungry. He would have likened her to a viper, ever so patiently waiting to ambush its next unsuspecting prey. Michaelis quite enjoyed his tenuous dances with predators; he always eagerly waited for the surprises they held in store for him. He especially enjoyed watching them make their own impacts upon this easily impressionable land of theirs.

    He is not surprised that she does not introduce herself first – merely starts in with questions about the tendrils that continued to writhe about his body calmly. But before a word can even leave his lips, his very sensitive eyes catch the approaching movement of another for she glowed brilliantly through both the shadows and the torrential downpour. The tendrils instinctively recoiled away from her, gathering closely once again to hide him away.

    But she came to a standstill just outside of their circle – a slight hesitancy radiated from her.

    He hummed soothingly and they settled down once more, no longer threatened by the one whom seemed to emit light from her body. She reminded him of the days he once spent living in the Tundra, where he fastidiously avoided the daylight for it seemed to bounce off of everything at once when there was heavy snowfall upon the ground and his eyes could not bare that extra strain upon them.

    He laughs softly to himself when the newcomer also foregoes introductions in light of her inquisitiveness. But the shadow child couldn’t fault them for it, he frequently suffered from the same infliction. He even attempts to indulge them a little and coaxes the tendrils to drift further away from him and towards the two mares. They cling stubbornly at first but little by little spread further outwards stopping just short of the night-sky mare’s frame. The shadow child wouldn’t force them upon others, but instead would leave an opening for those who chose to step forward of their own free will.

    I wouldn’t say that it’s a matter of who’s the leader nor who’s the follower. It’s a mutual relationship. Sometimes I can’t even predict what they’re going to do next.

    For the night could swallow one whole if they feared it enough. It could be frighteningly still yet monsters could be lurking within its shadowy depths and one would never until it was too late. But it could reward those who were bold and fearless; Michaelis had happily accepted his fate and the shadows had become fond company.

    He smiles at the strangers in invitation and decides to start the introductions for he enjoys learning about others, especially those who expressed interest in his shadows.

    I’m Michaelis.

    Michaelis
    ( The Shadow Child )


    @[Desire] @[Beyza]
    Reply
    #5
    i think i'm better on my own but i get so lost in you
    Her lips tilt into an appreciative smile as the tendrils of shadow shift and stir as if to flee, only to decide she is not a threat and settle back against him. She has always had an interest in the skills of others; some she was slightly jealous of, but in his case, she was simply curious.

    Before she has a chance to respond, though, there is movement just out of her line of sight.

    The light that radiates from the other mare is enough to draw her eye away from the stallion and his shadows, and there is a flicker of recognition that registers on her face. She has seen her in Pangea, though she is unsure of her name, and has no idea that she is a half-sister. One of many, considering who her parents were, but Beyza’s heritage was especially unique. Desire did not really pay attention to the comings and goings of her mother – she didn't have that kind of time, or attention span – but she knew, more or less, all of her siblings from her. Except, of course, for this one, and if Desire knew the story behind Beyza's conception – the way Anaxarete had used her magic to create a child between Ryatah and Agetta without either of their knowledge –  she would understand why.

    As it is, she assumes that the feeling of familiarity she gets when she sees Beyza is from crossing paths in Pangea, and so she offers her the same thin, slightly impersonal smile that she gives everyone. Her eyes move back to the man with the shadows, nodding in acknowledgement to what he says – about the shadows, and his name. “Michaelis,” she echoes his name in the lilting sweetness of her voice, that same simper coiled on her pale mouth. “My name is Desire.”

    She waits a moment, giving the other mare a chance to make her introductions should she want to, but her mind is focused on what had drawn her here in the first place. Her dark stare is still fixed on the man’s face, and she takes a brazen step forward. Her intangibility had leant her a sort of fearlessness, the knowledge of knowing that if needed she could force most blows to pass through her – not that she had been terribly timid before, though. She has always been a little too bold for her own good, with an arrogance that she always expected to get her into trouble. Unfortunately (or fortunately), she didn’t mind trouble at all.

    A delicate nose reaches forward as if to touch one of the shadows, lingering near his shoulder, but she pulls back at the last moment and asks him with another smile, “And were you born with this gift?”

    i think i'm better on my own but i'm so obsessed with you
    desire


    @[Beyza]
    Reply
    #6
    B E Y Z A
    remember me when i’m reborn as a shrike

    It does not escape Beyza’s notice that the living shadows recoil from her presence. And although she had expected it - that was why she had halted a little further away than Desire - she feels hurt by it all the same. She never had been one to handle rejection well. It’s worse because it’s shadows, because they remind her of the reaper and the way he had shrunk from her when they had first met.

    But the stranger cloaked in shadows laughs softly which soothes away some of this hurt. She continues to watch him with curiosity, and then jealousy as the shadows stretch out towards Desire.

    She’s already frowning slightly when he gives his response - even though it makes sense, and even though he smiles - and that frown deepens. Beyza doesn’t like the answer she is given, not one bit. If the shadows have a mind of their own, that means they might choose to avoid her. Instead of it being instinct alone. Beyza remains where she is, watching the pair before her, and suddenly feeling very much the odd one out.

    She finds she does not mind terribly. It is fascinating, the ease with which her fellow Pangean moves. Closes the gap between her and Michaelis as though there's nowhere else she'd rather be than near him. There’s a boldness to the night-strewn mare Beyza has only felt in glimpses. It softens the frown away from her marble features and her curiosity returns - but now she's aware that she finds them both interesting.

    And, for now, she has no other question to add to the other one asked so she just offers her name.

    “I’m Beyza.”



    @[michaelis]
    Reply
    #7
    Burning on, just like a match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know.
    And what's the worst you take from every heart you break? And like
    the blade you stain, well, I've been holding on tonight.

    He found the social differences between the two mares to be fascinating – they were like night and day.

    Desire was a sleek feline who seemed eager to weigh her nine lives up against her overwhelming curiosity. She was bold and self-assured in her advances accompanied by a beguiling smile that seemed to hint at a secret that he was not privy to. The night-strewn mare wasn’t afraid to step into his space nor did she hesitate in her almost-touches to the shadows that continued to flutter around his frame.

    Beyza, on the other hand, was guarded and cautious. She remained just outside their little gathering, unsure of her welcome amidst the shadows. Her curiosity was clear in her gaze but it was tempered with tightly reined self-control and a touch of uncertainty. But her coat was a boldness unto itself, unerringly piercing through the darkness and unwittingly drawing attention to her.

    One was not superior to the other in any one way.

    But boldness could easily lead to recklessness and great caution could lead to lost opportunities.

    He remained quiet during both of their introductions, content to let them ask any more questions or speak their thoughts aloud for he truly enjoyed the art of getting to know people. Desire moved closer into his space and he didn’t mind her forwardness. The shadows coiled together and became denser on his shoulder where she aimed her touch but she abruptly pulled back and they began to stretch back out once again agitatedly. Although they had determined them to be friendly, they would continue to jealously guard him despite Michaelis’ wishes otherwise.

    Amused mismatched eyes went from Desire’s smile and towards the small frown that briefly marred Beyza’s features before it flickered away. He could see the burning curiosity in her eyes and Michaelis was more than happy to bridge the gap between them. As he began to step closer towards Beyza and past the galaxy-touched mare, a couple of shadow tendrils trail away from him and daringly curl about her own shoulder in return for the previous almost-touch. They remained delicate in their touch, giving Desire the opportunity to escape should she well desire.

    He had already started forward whenever the night-strewn mare had asked him another question and he threw his answer back over his shoulder with a mischievous grin and laughing eyes.

    Alas I was not born with them but cursed instead!

    An irritated squeeze around his torso told him what the tendrils had thought of that particular answer and he merely chuckled in response to their disgruntlement. But it was true he had not been born with any special abilities, but now he possessed two of them. Although, moving things around with his mind wasn’t nearly as entertaining to others as was the shadows that continuously clung to his frame.

    The shadow child made sure to halt within a respectable distance of the blindingly white mare in case she wasn’t comfortable with his sudden approach. Instead, he stretched the shadows out temptingly towards her in invitation and tilted his head questioningly, “Would you like to come closer to them?

    The storm continued overhead but it seemed to be lessoning in its wrath, slowing down from a torrential downpour and into a steady rain. He beckoned Desire closer to them with a gentle smile and a raised eyebrow before addressing them both once more. “Tell me, what have I missed? I’ve just recently returned from a long journey.” The tendrils seemed to grow around them, as if they wished to hide their little gathering away from prying eyes and interruptions.

    Michaelis
    ( The Shadow Child )


    @[Desire]
    Reply
    #8
    i think i'm better on my own but i get so lost in you
    It always takes her a moment to look beyond herself and read how someone else feels. As a child, she had always purposely directed the attention to herself, and now as an adult, it was a habit that she often fell back on. She did not crave validation in quite the same way, but she had learned the easiest way to get someone interested in her was to show interest in them. With her one-track mind, her attention had been focused on Michaelis, to the extent that she did not notice at first the way Beyza seemed uncertain of the shadows. But a glance sideways and she sees the frown on the mare’s face, though Desire can not place the reason for why that might be. It seems unlikely that she was afraid of them; that wasn’t the impression she was getting. Perhaps they reminded her of something — or someone. Whatever the case it was enough to pique her interest, but she decides this was a subject best brought up between just the two of them back in Pangea.

    A tendril of shadow curling toward her diverts her attention from the white mare (she is such a bright white, too, in a way that is almost unnerving), and a laugh purrs from her throat when he moves closer to Beyza. “Your shadows seem flirtatious,” she teases with a simper still curled on her pale lips, but she watches patient and quiet as he beckons Beyza closer. Desire tilts her head towards her, but says nothing—giving her the opportunity if she wishes without interfering.

    When Michaelis directs a question at her she steps closer to him once more, positioning herself on his other side so that she may hold Beyza in her sight as well. “Where should we begin?” she says with another laugh, and a sigh that implies it would be such a long story to tell it all. “There was a plague, but that was cured before I was born. I suppose the most exciting thing to happen recently is the afterlife being opened.”

    i think i'm better on my own but i'm so obsessed with you
    desire


    @[Beyza]
    Reply
    #9
    B E Y Z A
    remember me when i’m reborn as a shrike

    Beyza would have been content, in her odd way, to stand where she was. Though it would have been considered rude by many others, she also would have been content just to watch Michaelis and Desire interact with her unblinking gaze. She found the star-strewn mare absolutely captivating and wondered what it was like to seem so at ease with a near stranger.

    “It does not seem like much of a curse to me.” Beyza offers quietly upon the response Desire’s question receives and there is a small smile that accompanies the words.

    Her eyes move from the equines to the shadows as they move and her heart leaps as a few reach out to her. A very quiet “Yes” is her response to the question from Michaelis and the word is reverent on her tongue. Beyza is briefly embarrassed by this but she takes a step, bringing her to a more reasonable and far more polite distance as the others join her. There’s a pleasure in this little bit of attention that causes a flutter in her stomach. She would have been content to be where she was, true, but this is better.

    It takes some effort to look at the pair and not at the shadows themselves, but she manages - only glancing away now and then when their movement grabs her attention.

    Beyza did not know much about the plague herself, only vague references to it. The mention of the afterlife being open sends a subtle shiver across her skin as she remembers her visit through it. She may not be as adept as Desire at conversation but at least she has the sense not to bring that up. “And aside from that, just the normal rise, fall, burning, and crumbling of lands.” Beyza was still young, but the fact that she could think of several examples that would fall under this description made her feel relatively certain that it was, in fact, common.

    Her white gaze doesn't easily showcase emotion but there's a friendly note in her voice and a smile when she asks a question of Michaelis in return. “Did you visit anywhere interesting on your journey?”



    @[michaelis]
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