Like a flower waiting to bloom - Ivar

[Ivar]

I V A R i'll use you as a makeshift gauge of how much to give and how much to take Ivar curls against her. His eyes are closed as he holds her tightly, his nose half-buried beneath the salt crisp curls of her pastel mane. Kylin is as much a part of Ivar as his own hooves are; he has never been able to trust his instincts around her. Some facets of the kelpie do not meld with those of a horse, and he is left stranded in situations such as these. It would be easiest to make her stay here. She would be safe, after all, well cared for. She’d have the company of other women and things to occupy her time. Perhaps next spring she might be passing the time by caring for their child. It’s an idyllstic image for Ivar, and he is always a hairsbreadth away from pressing the desire into her mind. But he never does. She had asked him not to, and he has always kept his promises. Even when he does not want to. Even when it would be better if he did not. Even if it means he does nothing more than bind himself deeper with every promise he makes. “Anything for you,” he says truthfully into the hollow of her throat, pulling away with a twist in his smile and fondness in his brown eyes. Kylin returns to the conversation to Circinae then, and the reminder is unwelcome. Ivar disentangles himself from the intimate embrace with Kylin. The cool winter air feels even more bitter in the once-warm spaces their bodies had touched. The kangaroos have begun to duck their heads from the wind, and a few seem to be heading for shelter in the brush. Taking their lead, Ivar encourages Kylin onward with a bump of his muzzle, intent on leading her to shelter in a nearby cave. As they walk, he answers. “I’m not sure yet. But I think I might end up coming to Ischia sooner than I intended.” Having his adventures planned for him doesn’t feel very much like having an adventure at all, he is finding. The scaled piebald has never been a fan of detailed itineraries. “Or you could always just stay here in Loess,” he adds, glancing up to meet her gaze directly. He’s skipped around it enough, he knows. “Stay with me. We’ll go visit Ischia whenever you want.” kelpie mimicry | dragon scales | tactile hypnosis minimal grullo tobiano king of loess