[open] you were way too bright for me

[Mazikeen]

m a z i k e e n . It’s been a long time since Mazikeen has wandered outside of Hyaline without a purpose. The common lands have just been places to pass through on her way to visit someone, or somewhere to check for her parents - and look for frogs with Myrna. She briefly considers going to Nerine but instead of crossing the river in the north she follows it south. She wanders along its banks where she can and flies or swims or hops over boulders and other obstacles when there is no clear path for her horse-shape. Once she is out of the mountains, it becomes easier and she no longer needs to shift just to continue on her way - wandering with the forest to one side and the river to the other. The water is still cold here, not yet warmed by the southern sun and carrying the snow melt from the mountains. Just like every time she wanders on her own, she wishes she had taken someone else with her - to have the company and the distraction from her thoughts. But it’s so easy to say she’ll be fine, to reprimand herself for still not wanting to be on her own. It’s been three years since she came back to herself - surely that should’ve been enough time to not feel the gnawing of memories reminding her of things she wished she could forget. Surely by now she should be whole and feel safe. Mazikeen alternates berating herself and trying the relatively new and alien process of 'giving herself a break' - and these two opposing thoughts clash in her head until it's nothing but raucous noise in her mind. So she stops on the shore of the bank, her orange eyes drifting to the current of the river - and she tries to lose herself in the way the spring sunshine is glinting off the surface, and the small glimmers of life that can be seen beneath the surface.

 

[Rezza]

appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

Rezza has grown fond of the common lands of Beqanna. In truth, she’d rather like to see the kingdoms as well, but she’s felt it best to keep her distance for noe. Helice had made at least one visit and while Rezza will need to do so, she’s wanted to let them all realize they are not here to cause trouble. They are not here to do anything at all really, given that they were not exactly given a choice when their home suddenly relocated. This new location, so far, has proven to be far better than the last and she’s hopeful they can be friends with their new neighbors.

Of the three common lands, the river is her usual haunt, preferring to keep close to the water for the sheer fact she would rather not get trapped on land and dry out. While she can survive on land, she cannot live on it. There is a distinct difference. Rezza is strolling along the bank when she spots a white mare up ahead. Her color, though not particularly strange, still stands out well enough that Rezza doesn’t need the screaming jumble of thoughts in the stranger’s mind to find her. Rezza leaves those thoughts well enough alone, knowing there’s likely nothing of actual use to her in there and having no particular interest in the personal problems of a stranger anyway.

Instead, she offers a distraction. ”Hello,” she calls in a friendly enough voice. Despite all the strange appearances she has found in Beqanna, Rezza still feels very other here with her lack of ears and black eyes. At this point she’s gone back to keeping the jellyfish tentacles in her mane because honestly, why not? They were not that strange in this Beqanna, and they were hardly the strangest thing about her. ”Am I interrupting, or would you care for some company?”

REZZA

Photo by mOilacake

@Mazikeen