[private] don't get cut on my edges • kagerus

[Kagerus]

kagerus

and in my dreams, i kissed your lips a thousand times

He is quite certain that I have already deduced his reason for being here; and yet, I am too caught up in my own reason for being here to wonder at his motivations; and, perhaps ironically, we come to the same conclusion: Hyaline. It's a dance of words to get to the subject itself, but I don't mind and Amet doesn't seem to, either; after all, if we finally come down to the marrow of this skeletal matter, we shall have to trust one another on a level that really can't come of a single encounter.

Luckily, Solace and he have an excellent repertoire; and this is enough to breach whatever gap remains between us on account of our effectively non existent relationship.

In the moments of silence between us when our eyes meet, I notice the amber hue of Amet's gaze; its colour mimics that of my own father, Kavi. I smile secretively at this thought, knowing all too well that the dragonesque stallion before me is ten years my junior, and that my father, who lived in the times of the Blood Alliance for gods' sake, is probably quadruple this stallion's age. It makes me feel a little funny, knowing that I owe someone so young so much for having founded the nation which represents every mote of importance to me... But I let go of the queasiness inspired herein, knowing that overthinking the semantics of our ages will ultimately just be a big waste of time.

When I mention the misfortunes of our subkingdom's rulerships, Amet's expression visibly changes; I wonder if he is always so easy to read, or if he is simply being transparent with me as a gesture of good faith. When he speaks, and it is not in regard to this topic, I almost want to interrupt him to get his obviously eager input on the situation; but I digress from myself, perking my ears to instead pay attention to the new subject at hand.

He begins by stressing the fact that Solace and I have gone far beyond what he could have dreamt, a statement which leaves my mouth a little dry, but in a good way; in the kind of way that happens because I forget to breathe, because it is such a high compliment. A blast of warm air leaves my grinning lips as he looks away, and I hope that he does not catch me as I relish his words so unashamedly; I can't help myself, I have only ever wanted to better the Sanctuary, and now its founder is telling me that I have.

Momentarily, I am reminded of my childhood self, of the girl who ran rampant in the Chamber of Evil and in the Amazon Jungle. For a girl raised by sinners and the most powerful women in the realm, it seems unfitting that I should head the great pacifist nation of the east; but then again, I had a loving, doting, peace-driven father who lived the same life, whose mother was of the same nature, who lead the Jungle itself. I think of Kagerou fondly, as Amet's pause in speech continues; closing my eyes, I briefly send a prayer of thanks up to her, before being called back to the present.

I was young, he starts again. He explains that his original inspiration came from a selfish place, but I cannot begrudge him that when the supposed selfishness actually extended to help others beyond himself. And the part about needing to prove himself, I nod to as well; though I had never been ambitious as a child, I remember well the feeling of need to provide for myself and my step mother Insignificance when she had stumbled upon my many years ago, when I awoke from the Beyond next to the newly born river.

Uncanny, how time passes, and how the present shortly becomes a part of history.

And for that, I am forever in yours and Solace's debt.

I nearly speak up now, feeling all at once as though my distrust of Amet has vanished in the wake of his vulnerability to me in the telling of his story. But I wait, knowing that in the end, his debt shall be repaid in full when he accepts my offer.

Of course, I am rewarded by his next statement being in regard to Hyaline; it is as though he reads my mind.

"Please, do not apologize, Amet." I reach out for him, stepping closer and pressing the grievously scarred tip of my muzzle to the scaled hide of his neck. The heartbeat I feel there reaffirms my decision to say what I am about to, and I withdraw, satisfied. "You have every right to ask about your nation, which has been kept as close to your original image as Solace and I could manage, given the unstable status of this god forsaken realm." I smile a little at that, but my words are clearly said in all seriousness. Beqanna can be a cruel mistress, when her children pinch too hard at her volutuous, life-giving teats.

"Truth be told, Primarch Litotes of Hyaline has gotten himself stolen to Loess - and in a time when we direly need him to take the helm of our second subkingdom, Pangea. Kensa, his mate, is distraught in his absence... I did not say this to her face, but she needs someone more seasoned to help her maintain stability in Hyaline. It may not be a terribly active land anymore, but that is beside the point." I look away, mouth turning down at the corners as my next words come, fault admitted blatantly within them. "It may not have been wise of Solace and I to place two greenhands on a throne; but, in another world, they did flourish."

Leaving the hypotheticals at that, I turn my gaze abruptly back to Amet's, their depths piercing and hard. "So, that leaves me with one question, friend..."

"Will you join Kensa as Primarch of Hyaline?""

@[Amet]