[private] there's a fire inside you - Printable Version +- Beqanna (https://beqanna.com/forum) +-- Forum: OOC (https://beqanna.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=24) +--- Forum: Archive (https://beqanna.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=81) +---- Forum: Lands (https://beqanna.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=98) +----- Forum: Tephra (https://beqanna.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=85) +----- Thread: [private] there's a fire inside you (/showthread.php?tid=29395) |
there's a fire inside you - Mazikeen - 05-15-2021 MAZIKEEN mazikeen @[Wishbone] RE: there's a fire inside you - Wishbone - 05-17-2021 it's a mystery to me we have a greed with which we have agreed. you think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won't be free. and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed. In those early hours of the morning, when Mazikeen feels the beginning pangs of childbirth, Wishbone dreams of her daughters. Her memories of birthing the twins are hazy, and her sleeping mind twists it so it’s something she treasures rather than forgetting. They smell warm and familiar, and when she presses a kiss to their noses, she sees the world through their young eyes. In the mysticism of dreams, Wishbone watches Rivuline and Delphi grow up in ways she had missed. She watches them discover the world, fall in love, and have their own children. She experiences the love and life she had lost in the Afterlife, and her heart feels full by the time her eyes flutter open. The sun tells Wishbone she’s slept longer than she normally does, but she remains slow to move from her overnight spot. Her dreams of the twins leave her heavy, pulled down by a strong mixture of affection and grief. Despite the years since she last saw her children, Wishbone still has not fully come to grips with the loss she feels in the wake of her death. Ivar had taken more than just her life on that day — he had taken her role as a mother. She’s so absorbed in the emotions and thoughts triggered by her sleep that Wishbone doesn’t recognize Mazikeen’s scent until her friend is within sight. The purple mare pushes through the heavy undergrowth to meet her friend on the trail. She notices the dark, hours-old twins at Mazikeen’s sides first, and the remaining signs of childbirth second. Her glowing amber eyes widen while her heart simultaneously tightens at the sight of the newborns, so new and wide-eyed. She sees her daughters’ innocence reflecting in their orange-blue eyes. “Oh, Maze,” she whispers in her roughened voice. Wishbone listens quietly to her friend, watches the way Mazikeen’s gaze shifts with an unmeasurable range of emotions. It hadn’t been that long ago when she had been in Tephra with a vibrant joy simply mentioning Gale’s name, though Wishbone had noticed an underlying hesitancy on that day. Mazikeen reveals the origin of that doubt, and the purple mare’s ears twist as her friend explains the Curse. The memories are a tsunami that threatens to overwhelm her (the sound of rain melting with the scream of Longclaw’s rage; the slippery darkness in Wolfbane’s face as he prowled around her; feeling her best friend cower against her as his father stormed through the jungle). The dream melts with the memories, which tumble into the bottomless pit of her emotions. What was lost sings a melody with redemption, and Wishbone knows her answer to Mazikeen’s favor and she wonders if she has been crafted for this purpose. The purple mare steps closer, lowering her head so she can look into each child’s face. “Hello, little loves,” she says softly, and her heart swells in adoration. When Wishbone lifts her head to meet Mazikeen’s face, her eyes speak of a mixture of steely resolve and a mothering warmth she hasn’t felt in years. After looking into those pure soft eyes, she knows that she will protect the children with her life. Even if she must protect them from someone who looks like their father (and oh, does she know the pain that comes with this). “They will be safe here,” she tells Mazikeen, and it’s as much of a promise as she can offer. And Wishbone offers a story in return. She tells Mazikeen about Ivar, how she carried and birthed their twins during the worst sickness in Beqanna’s history. Her voice softens as she mentions Rivuline and Delphi, and then it becomes heavier as she tells the story of her death. And when she finally mentions how she has yet to see them, the purple mare presses a sincere kiss to Mazikeen’s cheek. “I will consider Malik and Sickle my own, and Tephra will know them as mine, to protect them. You are always welcome to visit, Maze. You are family now.” @[Mazikeen] RE: there's a fire inside you - Mazikeen - 05-17-2021 MAZIKEEN mazikeen @[Wishbone] RE: there's a fire inside you - Wishbone - 05-18-2021 it's a mystery to me we have a greed with which we have agreed. you think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won't be free. and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed. Wishbone had never been able to properly say goodbye to her daughters. Watching Mazikeen touch her childrens’ heads, the purple mare isn’t sure what she would have said to them anyway. The love of a mother is stronger than anything; Wishbone hadn’t fully understood that when she was a child, but it became more clear to her in the weeks she spent with her twins. And even then it had been mysterious and incomprehensible in some ways. Perhaps she might’ve been able to untangle it more if she’d had more time. Her heart already aches, knowing what Mazikeen will experience when she leaves Tephra. Wishbone understands that, despite her best efforts, her friend will feel the absence of her twins. It’s impossible to ignore after the time spent feeling them fidget and fight from within, after experiencing the hardships of labor, after watching their eyes open for the first time. At least, it had been for Wishbone. Whether Mazikeen loves her children like a mother or not, the sudden absence of two little bodies who had once been so close will be felt. Her dark face is soft and understanding when Mazikeen asks for more time. “You don’t even need to ask,” she says. Wishbone imagines the journey the white mare took to reach Tephra, probably using whatever means necessary to make sure the Curse didn’t trace this day back to the volcano. And beyond that, to have had the twins during the trip — the purple mare had been certain she would die during childbirth, as weak as she was from the plague, but she knows that bringing two children into the world is no easy task even in full health. “Come with me, we’ll get you cleaned up.” The purple mare turns toward the trail ahead and begins leading them through the jungle. There’s a shallow section of the stream the sun warms, providing water at the perfect temperature to soothe the soreness Mazikeen must be feeling. Wishbone walks at a slower pace, and her amber eyes dance when she watches the twins stumbling over their new legs. “I’m worried for you, Maze. I know you can hold your own, but I don’t want to see you hurt.” She can’t help but feel alarmed for her friend, especially as she remembers Longclaw’s rage at the peak of his Curse. Wishbone had seen her friend pulverize a monster, and she had survived the eclipse, but the Curse is entirely different than darkness or beasts. The purple mare has seen how the weapons of the Curse go beyond physical; she knows how it can infiltrate their minds and make their hearts bleed. And she can imagine Not-Gale will not be pleased to find out the twins have vanished. “What’s your plan for when you get home?” @[Mazikeen] RE: there's a fire inside you - Mazikeen - 05-19-2021 MAZIKEEN mazikeen @[Wishbone] RE: there's a fire inside you - Wishbone - 06-04-2021 it's a mystery to me we have a greed with which we have agreed. you think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won't be free. and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed. It doesn’t occur to Wishbone until after she said the words that she asked her friend what her plan is, not if she has a plan. Perhaps it’s wrong of her to assume that Mazikeen’s thought far enough ahead to understand and expect the consequences of hiding the children. Yet she’s had the pregnancy to think and scheme, and Wishbone thinks about their conversation soon after the eclipse ended. Mazikeen had known about the Curse then, had known that a time would come where she would need to put her emotions aside to minimize casualties. She might not have predicted that children would be involved, but after hiding the twins her plans might be able to resume as she’d intended from the beginning. Wishbone assumes correctly, and perhaps this is guided by their kindred hearts. The purple mare listens quietly as they make their way slowly across Tephra’s landscape. When a twin stumbles, Wishbone carefully nudges them upright so they can continue. Meanwhile, her mind is racing as she absorbs Mazikeen’s sentences and imagines how her plan might become a reality. Her stomach churns when the white mare mentions getting hurt, but not dying. There’s such a certainty in Mazikeen’s voice that the Tephran queen wonders what might drive that confidence. There are more stories to the scars that flex with Mazikeen’s steps, and perhaps even more that Wishbone can’t see. It makes her curious, makes her wonder if there is some gift from Beqanna that renders her friend incapable of dying. Or is it just luck? Friends with healing tricks appearing at the right time and place? Wishbone knows it would be dangerous for Mazikeen to come back to Tephra after leaving the twins, but she can’t help saying, “You know Tephra’s healing falls are always available to you. If you do get hurt, and there’s a way you can come back, you don’t need to ask.” She knows she’d regret it if she didn’t make that perfectly clear, and her glowing eyes are soft as she studies her friend’s face while she tells the rest of her plan. Her heart tightens at the thought of Wolfbane and Lepis. Would she have tried everything she could to save Wolfbane if it had been her instead of Lepis? Wishbone knows that she would, deep down, and it’s why she offers her friend a consoling touch as they walk. The queen remains silent as they reach the stream, and she steps her dark legs into the waters alongside Mazikeen. Malik and Sickle dance and splash in the shallows, curious and yet tentative with the newness of the waters. Her amber eyes watch the twins in her peripheral vision, and after a moment she responds to her friend’s plan with thoughtfulness in her voice. “You love him, Maze. There’s no reason to explain away what you’re willing to do to bring him back.” She still doesn’t completely understand just how powerful love is, but she knows that it’s a strong emotion. It’s ruthless, forgiving, and selfless, and Wishbone can see these characteristics reflected in her friend’s face. “It sounds like you have a good plan. I don’t know where the Curse came from originally, but I know it’s been part of Gale’s family for several generations. Maybe the beginning of the Curse will give you clues on how to end it.” She pauses and turns her eyes up, where the bright spring-blue sky peeks through the thick greenery of the jungle, and then moves her gaze back toward Mazikeen. “If there’s anything more I can do to help, please tell me. You don’t have to do this alone.” @[Mazikeen] RE: there's a fire inside you - Mazikeen - 06-09-2021 MAZIKEEN mazikeen @[Wishbone] RE: there's a fire inside you - Wishbone - 06-25-2021 it's a mystery to me we have a greed with which we have agreed. you think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won't be free. and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed. Wishbone understands her friend’s dedication to handling Gale on her own, yet she also feels apprehension curl in her chest. It would make sense for Mazikeen to carry out her plan alone, to limit all the friends and family who might be involved. Wishbone knows she would feel much the same if she were in her friend’s place. Hadn’t she done something similar with her twins? Ivar certainly hadn’t been a great father, and she’d recognized this by limiting the time Rivuline and Delphi spent with him, trying to protect them. Despite this, Wishbone can’t stop the doubt that finds its way to her. After all, this situation — this relationship — has extended beyond just Gale and Mazikeen. It includes two little, innocent lives now. The twins are undeniably a part of this puzzle and they always will be, despite what Wishbone might do to protect and love them as her own. She wonders if Malik and Sickle will ever be enough to convince Mazikeen to seek out help. She’s taken a step by bringing them to Tephra, but will there be a day that she will admit she needs help beyond her capabilities? Wishbone knows her own stubbornness, and she’s seen it reflected in Mazikeen. The queen expects it will take a lot of pain before her friend calls on the help that’s been offered to her. She watches as Mazikeen wades deeper in the water, waiting in the shallows with the twins (and isn’t this an example of how Mazikeen, alone, goes deeper into the Curse’s trap?). When her friend looks back, Wishbone gives her a soft smile. “I’ll always be here for you, Maze.” @Mazikeen Lil closer for us <3 |