"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
Alucarda sometimes considered herself to be a mystery.
She didn’t have any familial ties for she did not remember ever having any parents to begin with. But surely, she had to have some for how else had she been brought into this world? Instead she was raised amongst the fairies and she hated every minute of it. They tried to coddle her and ply her with never-ending attention, but she had always felt isolated from the others. Like she wasn’t special, wasn’t appreciated for who she actually was. The buckskin girl didn’t wish to be fawned over either, she merely wished to have a place in this world where she felt she belonged.
She eagerly ventured away from the den and towards the meadow to explore on her own today, carefully sneaking away from the fairies’ watchful eyes. Friends were difficult for her to make and most times she preferred to do things alone anyway so it was easy for her to slip beneath their notice without an entourage noisily following after her.
The meadow was crowded since it was midmorning and they seemed to congregate mostly beneath the shade of the few trees that lined its borders. But Alucarda was undaunted by the summer heat for she was much too high off her success at freedom. The tall grasses swayed from a gentle breeze and mostly hid her golden body from view of the older horses as she playfully ran through their ticklish blades.
She came out into a small open space where a creek lazily cut through the meadow. The buckskin girl slowed down to take a cooling drink of water. The rustling of grass behind her brought her head up sharply and her happiness quickly tanked at the sight of another nosy adult. The painted stranger immediately began to ask why she was alone and where her mother was and that they’d help her find them for her.
It was always this way for the buckskin girl. They thought her helpless without a parent around or if she made a remark about not having any then they immediately turned pitying and wanted to help guide her back to the den. Her hazel eyes narrowed in irritation at the other and she could feel that familiar power rise up within her chest again. She finally cuts through the stranger’s tirade with a sharp command, “Leave!.”
The painted mare’s features slacken and her words abruptly cut off – a simple turn and the stranger very quietly goes back the way she came. The buckskin girl watches keenly until the mare truly disappears back into the tall grasses before she sighs a quiet sigh of relief. She didn’t understand why people tended to listen to her commands like that sometimes. But she’s seen it happen amongst the others at the den as well when she could no longer tolerate their childish attempts to make friends with her. She simply considered this to be another part of the mystery that was her existence.
Alucarda turned her attention back to the waters and began to splash about, disturbing the numerous small fish that frantically darted away from her small hooves. She was determined to enjoy the rest of the day – away from adults who had no business sticking their noses into hers.
alucarda
hypnotist daughter of Oberst and Worn
@[Aela] I'm still trying to figure her personality out so excuse yuck posts until then :|
12-17-2020, 09:04 PM (This post was last modified: 12-17-2020, 09:09 PM by Aela.)
Aela knows nothing about the events that brought her into creation.
She is oblivious to the paternity that gleams in golden stripes at her ankles, about the maternal bloodline that peers out through Aela's startling blue eyes. The flaxen-haired beauty had been brought up to think that spotted Kota was her mother and her only other known blood relative was Heartfire, her grandmother. There are gaps in her family tree, plenty of empty branches but Aela hardly minds anymore.
By the time that she reaches it - her destiny, her purpose, the pinnacle of her ambition - her name will be the only one that matters.
But for now, she is still attempting to achieve it. She is still crafting ideas and turning them over in her young mind, attempting to formulate ideas on how to reach her future. Aela has been forewarned about her aspirations and the gilded girl takes her grandmother's advice seriously, even more now that she has seen invincible Straia swallowed whole by her ambition. It's about timing, she knows. It's about patience, waiting for opportunities to both present themselves and for Aela to create them.
This trip into the Meadow hadn't been about that. Not at first.
It's hard for her to observe the pairs and trios and quartets that gather around the grasslands and not want to immediately dismiss them. Each dynamic that she watches all lack something. There is no luster, no shine, no spark. To Aela's adolescent gaze, they all looked tired and tarnished. They have all the ruination of time and she has no use for that, for them. Those that are so bogged down by the weight of their memories are not so receptive to hers, she's learned.
There is a sharp voice - one that cuts across the Meadow - and Aela hears the authority in it, attracting her attention.
With nothing else to interest her, the adolescent moves off in the direction of the sound. The stalks brush up against her and Aela follows a well-worn path towards a nearby creek. By the time that she arrives, there is a mare and her foal aimlessly walking away from another. Splashing in the shallows of the creek is a girl and Aela's mind is already wondering what (and if there is one) the connection between the three could be.
Her voice is still unsteady and unpracticed and this way of speaking - flashes of images, glimpses of memory - is an old habit for Aela. She takes another step closer to the other adolescent and projects the other side of the Meadow and the shout that reached her. (There is grass and more grass; there are fragments of her unenthused observations of the small groups of horses from earlier. There is the muffled command from afar: Leaf? Leave?)
There is an inquiring tilt of her lovely head and the gentle brush of her pale tail while Aela waits, already expectant of a reply.
Perhaps it was Alucarda’s fault for sneaking away so late in the day for it seemed that she would not be finding solitude within the bustling meadow despite her fervent wishes. It was not but a couple of minutes after the irritating mare had left that another had so quickly taken her place within the buckskin girl’s peripheral vision. She paused what silly playing she had been engaging in to give the newcomer her full attention.
The silence is what caught her attention first – along with a rather studious gaze.
She then noticed that the stranger looked to be about her age and a spark of interest struck within her. Alucarda hadn’t had much opportunity to meet others her age outside of the den. The other resident foals were empty-headed and naïve, and the buckskin girl didn’t have much use for them no matter what false platitudes the fairies gave her in regards to how she needed to make nice and forge friendships.
She didn’t need to rely on anybody else to get by so insincere friendships were not how she wanted to be spending her valuable time.
After a brief moment of quiet, thoughtful stares between the two girls, the stranger stepped closer to Alucarda and almost simultaneously foreign images began to flash through her mind like rapid-fire. Her usual attempt at keeping her thoughts off her face was ruined by the startled gasp that escaped her lips and the flash of surprise that swept across her pretty hazel eyes.
The familiar sight of the meadow – long grasses lazily swaying in the wind, the bubbling creek that cuts through the open land, the groups of equines scattered about the meadow. The feeling of dismissal and disinterest when looking at those same aforementioned groups. A familiar voice heard from afar and a growing curiosity settling within her mind.
The buckskin girl rapidly blinked a couple of times as the slideshow of memories finally released their grip upon her and left behind a lingering simple question of what at the forefront of her mind. Her hazel eyes regarded the other girl with some suspicion but the stranger hadn’t made any aggressive moves towards her – she only looked at her with great inquiry within her eyes. Perhaps this was a normal way for the other girl to communicate and Alucarda would simply have to adapt, something she was quite adept at doing.
Alucarda still hesitated in answering the other – for she never outwardly acknowledged that she would sometimes command others to do her bidding with just some simple words. She was well aware that the fairies would disapprove of her experimenting on the other resident foals, which meant she had to do her practicing elsewhere. But she didn’t put much effort in finding potential victims really, only those who tried to boss her around because they thought they knew what was best for her.
Alucarda wasn’t a threat unless provoked – a rattlesnake striking when the risk of being stepped on was too great to ignore.
“I was merely swatting a pesky mosquito away. Annoyances won’t leave unless you forcefully ask them to do so.”
Her hazel eyes met the other’s gaze determinedly, her initial surprise completely faded away and her features were back to her usual blasé façade. She had learned that to hide her emotions helped her to not stand out so much and it helped to throw others off. For if the other was busy scrambling then it was easier to strike her unsuspecting prey.
“Of course, mosquitos would do as I say if I were to also ask them nicely.”
Aela is starting to learn that she seems to be good at this. Perhaps it is her gold coloring. Perhaps it is because of how determined her gaze can be, that it contains the kindling needed to start the fire within others. Maybe it is because that Aela is so filled to the brim with dreams and memories (she hardly knows the difference) that ignites them in others.
She hasn't quite figured it all out yet; she only knows that every so often, a soul catches her attention and there is always a reason (purpose) for it.
Her lovely head tilts to the side, appraising the equally-lovely Alucarda. The other girl seems quick, Aela decides. Her projections are received and by the small gasp that escapes the buckskin, the adolescent feels a familiar flash of pride from the clarity of the accomplishment. (Aela has never felt remorse or apologetic about how she communicates with others; this is her native language.)
Shock glimmers across the hazel eyes of her companion and Aela lifts her head, waiting for what will follow. She doesn't make any further moves towards the other filly and watches as the waves of suspicion crash over Alucarda. There are glimpses of other things coming off her companion, of the Den (to which Aela has never seen with her own eyes). She can't even fathom being left or unwanted; Aela has always been beloved and indulged.
The experience that Alucarda has earned from the Den could be beneficial, though. Almost as useful as the display she saw earlier between the filly and the concerned mare.
This could be like her and Skandar, she realizes. The skin-changer takes on a shape at Aela's whim. All she has to do recall the memory - think of feathers or lava, of gods or cosmos - and he can make it materialize. Alucarda refers to the others as mosquitos and a smirk quirks at the edge of her pale mouth; she finds the comparison amusing. The almost-palomino hasn't yet had to resort to force in her dealings with others. (Most of her encounters are with more malleable minds and they either become so distressed that they leave or fascinated that they follow.)
There is a steady trickle of memories - between handsome Skandar to all-knowing Heartfire to haunted Kensley - that recite her name and she shares it with Alucarda: Aela.
Assuming that this new acquaintance will follow with her own name, Aela looks around and finds a bird preening above on a branch. She watches it and decides that since the creature is larger than a mosquito, she'd like to see what Alucarda can do with it. Could she manage to make it take wing? Could she force it to land on another branch? Turning her head back to the green-eyed girl, the echo of the little feathered soul fluttered between them.
Another round of memories trickled into her mind like rainwater – a parade of strangers’ faces all repeating the same thing of what seemed to be the other girl’s name. The buckskin girl repeated aloud just for confirmation, “Aela?” She thought she was starting to get the hang of navigating these unfamiliar images that were going to continue to appear in her mind throughout the rest of this conversation.
“I’m Alucarda”
And then the golden girl suddenly looked expectantly at her and sends her a small memory this time – a black crow sitting on a nearby branch carefully grooming its feathers.
She seemed like she was wanting a demonstration.
Alucarda was quickly coming to the realization that her usual attempts at keeping her thoughts off her face would be rendered useless by the other who seemed to have some sort of mind-reading ability. But she had also come to the realization that the other didn’t seem to be putting straightforward thoughts in her mind. On the contrary, they seemed to be a carefully selected montage of memories and feelings.
She was very curious to know if it worked both ways.
She narrowed her pretty hazel eyes in thought. If it was a show, she was wanting then Alucarda would acquiesce, but not without conducting a small experiment of her own. The buckskin girl with the stripe of green gracing her spine focused on mentally sending a strong flash of irritation along with the image of stupidly performing monkey to the other. She made sure to study Aela’s face for any reaction before turning her attention to their chosen avian target.
After some of her previous experimenting, she knew smaller animals were quite easy to take over mentally – especially those who were more prey-like. She didn’t have to put much effort into her voice to get the black bird’s attention. “Come!” The bird stiffened and instantly stopped its preening, spreading it’s wings quickly to land in front of the two girls.
There was a mischievous glint to her eye and she had decided to allow herself to indulge in her somewhat petty nature. She had spotted that same painted mare from earlier lingering across the meadow and so she decided that the other hadn’t been punished quite enough. “Go divebomb that vapid painted one across the way.”
She watched eagerly as the bird took a small hop and lifted itself back into the air. It began to caw loudly in warning to the mare before persistently diving down to peck at her hindquarters with a sort of ferociousness. The painted mare shrieked in both pain and surprise before she began to run away from the unrelenting bird, disappearing out of sight into the copses of trees that lined the meadow.
The buckskin girl watched the scene play out with a vicious sort of satisfaction and amusement, and she focused on sending both of those feelings back to the golden girl. She made to sure to glance back to watch Aela’s face, for both her reaction to the show and her reaction to her small experiments at sending strong emotions back to her, amidst the sounds of fading shrieks and cawing in the background.
01-15-2021, 02:06 PM (This post was last modified: 01-15-2021, 02:14 PM by Aela.)
The buckskin girl looks to Aela for some kind of affirmation and the palomino gives a small nod. She's unaware of what the name means or who gave it to her but she has collected enough memories to know it is hers. Her blue eyes travel over the other adolescent again, tracing over the green stripe that crosses her back before they return on her hazel gaze.
@[alucarda]. It's an interesting name and Aela tilts her head again at an inquisitive angle, wondering if the other filly might elaborate who gave it to her or how she came by it.
Her mind is focusing almost wholely on the other girl that the images of the monkey come as clearly as if Aela had been there. Her pale mouth quirks in a slight smile, approval lifting the corners. Alucarda narrows her green-brown eyes and the gold-striped girl lifts her head, curious at the gesture and unsure of what it might mean. Aela can force her memories into the mind of another; she can even make them feel the emotions associated with some of them if they are strong enough.
But the pull of her mind - to force them to do something - is beyond her control.
Even Aela (sadly) has her limits.
That's why she finds these interactions so interesting. They hold so much promise and the thought of what Alucarda could do - if partnered with Aela, if combined with Skandar - is so temptingly clear that Aela could almost project it as a memory. She watches as the girl studies the bird on the branch above and then as it flies down, with some kind of unnatural movement that might have unnerved another (who hadn't been Aela). Her gaze follows the winged creature as it comes to stand before them before she looks back to Alucarda.
What now? Her inquiring eyes seem to ask.
There is a glint sparking in the green of her new companion. An idea coming to life and Aela feels that impish smile dawning again. There is a memory of the spotted mare from before, the one who had been leaving just as Aela had come across this command-giving girl. Alucarda tells the crow to fly towards the painted woman and Aela can feel herself glancing sidelong back to the girl. It's not often that she comes across another who isn't perturbed by the idea of revenge. Or any kind of chaos.
It makes her wonder...
The dark bird plummets towards the mare and her shrill screams that come from across the meadow certainly make this stranger all the more intriguing.
As Aela is studying her - watching for any sign of remorse or regret, waiting to feel it - the other girl turns to her. For a long moment, it is just an inquisitive gaze full of emotion and a conversation that occurs through a quick flash of images. There are glimpses of Pangea - a rather red and violent-looking landscape full of eerie canyons - that she passes along.
Another scream echoes and Aela can't help but meet the other girl's eyes with that slight smile, a conspiratorial grin that might one day topple empires. It's one full of promise for a future, something that Alucarda could be apart of, if she was willing to reach for it.
Alucarda would have laughed merrily at the notion of feeling regret or remorse for what she believed to have been deserved. She didn’t have time to stop and feel these weaker emotions if she wished to make her way in this harsh world of theirs. Instead, it was wiser to put a stopper on her softer emotions and present herself dispassionately to the outside world. Decisions based on logical reasoning instead of the impulsive heart were considered to be best in her mind.
Although the exception would most certainly be for the idea of revenge – any opportunity for it wasn’t something she could easily let pass by.
Her youth and inexperience with the world outside of the Den could be blamed for her penchant for retaliation. She felt that if someone were to get away with something without fear of her wrath in return, then she would be viewed as vulnerable and weak. The others were quick to learn that trying to taunt or bully with her in the vicinity wasn’t the wisest course of action to take. For the most part, her punishments were childish in nature. She hasn’t had anybody besides fellow youngsters and nosy fairies to attempt to influence her decisions. She’s lived in a safe cocoon where young orphaned souls were coddled away from the dark influences of the whole of Beqanna – where turmoil and war and power struggles and menacing creatures of the night thrived.
Experiences she’d never obtain if she stayed ignorant and naïve, stagnantly waiting within the confines of the Den.
Aela sends another sequence of images to Alucarda after the mare and diving black bird faded over the horizon. And with each instance, she became less startled by them. An alien landscape – dry and full of ragged canyons that cut through the land contrasted by a large river that slowly flows through the widest of the valleys.
“Is that your home?”
Her sharp gaze looked to the golden girl with a hint of wistfulness tainting it. She must have had so many adventures and experiences already if that was the girl’s homeland. Its wildness draws her in and she wished to leave the gentle lull of the meadow’s creek behind her so she can venture to this unknown land instead.
She sends the girl another attempt at her own mental response, pushing forwards her memories of the Den so that they were strong enough for the other to pick up. A bubbling brook within a small clearing of the forest guarded closely by fairies. The piercing confused cries of newcomers calling out for their absentee parents. The annoying attempts of the other yearlings to pull her into their inane games. The feeling of being in a gilded cage, relieved only by her little escapes into the meadow.
Perhaps she should have been grateful that she had been dumped into the Den (she has no memories of her parents whatsoever so surely that was the most logical conclusion). Although she had been unwanted, at least she hadn’t starved or suffered from the elements. Her injuries and feelings had been soothed by the Den’s guardians and she had access to company if she had desired it.
But her restless spirit told her it was time to move on from that place.
And the golden girl’s smile spoke of adventure, companionship, and a chance at determining her own future. She stood a little straighter and closed the distance between the two girls, signaling her decision of putting her trust in Aela for the time being.
01-30-2021, 07:30 PM (This post was last modified: 01-30-2021, 07:36 PM by Aela.)
Aela is still adjusting to the notion of home. It had been explained to her when she had been young that Taiga was her home. They were to stay there (because unknown to her, there was an arrangement made between the woman who brought her into this life and her milk-mother). At the time, there had been a magical barrier in the North to protect them from some self-proclaimed terror that stalked at their borders. What Brennen had constructed to keep the Northerners safe from Wolfbane, Aela had angrily viewed as a cage.
And perhaps now, that is why she is so reluctant to call someplace home. Perhaps she thinks it might take on another term for a shackle.
But she had chosen Pangea. When they had come to attack Nerine, Aela had been impressed by their might. Not only did they boast gifted individuals among their ranks but they had Magicians as well and as the Nerinian coast was blasted, Aela could see the formations of a dream taking place. The barricade had fallen, the Northern Magician vanished and there had been Straia, commanding the sky, bringing down a wordless proclamation that even head-strong and strong-willed Aela would follow.
When Alucarda asks if Pangea is her home, Aela nods. Yes, she thinks. If she had to choose any place in Beqanna, it would be the land that had carved out a name for itself.
Just as she intended to do.
She decides then to send glimpses of the other images. Aela sends fragments of the attack on Nerine, of the way that a wall of water Magic crashed and the way that the air in the Northern kingdom vibrated with it (can Alucarda feel it, hammering against her chest?) Aela had chosen that place but she wants another to understand why because if the palomino actually achieves the future she wants for herself (and therefore extending to the others who help), she wants them to know what it is that they are involved in.
What it is they are coming from (and that is something that Aela sees when the buckskin girl shares it with her) and the brief glimpses of what they might aspire to. She means to find those like themselves - gifted, powerful, and not afraid to use those abilities - and to have them cultivate their craft. On her own, Aela's abilities are limited to sensing the memories and emotions that linger in the mind. But paired with others, well, Skandar had learned to take shapes from her memories. If Allucarda could use her talents to convince others, connected with herself and the shifter, what else might they accomplish?
The days are long and sweltering in Pangea. Aela doesn't hide that in her memories. The landscape is not a forgiving one and so she shares with the other girl that it won't be like her Den; there is no lush grass to frolic on, no attentive fairy for every whim and need. It will just be them and their wits and their ambition to set the limits on what they might achieve.
If this was something she wanted, Aela extended the quiet memory of a cave near the Hyalean mountains. The palomino turned towards the direction of Pangea and glanced back, speaking without words. Aela was willing to share it, with her. @[alucarda] only needed to agree and the buckskin could leave the Den behind.
