"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
09-07-2016, 12:44 PM (This post was last modified: 09-07-2016, 12:45 PM by Romek.)
fuck all your dreams; they're not all they seem.
As soon as their impromptu meeting broke apart (he figures they were all too exhausted to hash things out properly today, and that perhaps once everyone has had the time to gather their thoughts and talk amongst themselves, it will be time to come together again and form an action plan) he goes to Maribel, their two newborn children (who are shivering and shuddering against the bitter winter cold here in the Taiga. And still, in the midst of winter, the gods had been right- this was a paradise. Life thrummed and birds sang, and there was plenty of space for the children to crash about and plenty to eat, as well.
Here they could protect their own, here they could flourish. He greets the white and golden woman with a bright, beaming smile. She has never looked more radiant than here, the cool climate suits her, and his children at her side complete the look. It’s to these he extends his nose to first, getting acquainted with the young ones who smelt mostly like Maribel, with a hint of mud and snot. His children.
He looks up to their mother with a pleased smile. ”They are beautiful, like you.” he says. ”I hope you didn’t struggle too much. I hope that everything went okay. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” He had spent days and days and days in a purgatory between heaven and hell, wishing that she would appear – and she is here, an angel, a soft sight.
”I feel like we have a lot to talk about, my love. There have been many changes. Things have happened. But first – I would like to make a change of my own.” his heart pounds in his chest as he gentle scuffs the floor with a hoof.
”I want us to be bonded in the eyes of the gods. You are my soul mate, my best friend, and being without you was like being without my heart. I found that nothing meant very much without you. Would you do me the honour, my dear love Maribel?”
Maribel pulls the girls close to ease the chill that had settled in their bone, lips plucking at stray hairs to smooth them with a warm tongue. The dampness of the wooded area only added to the chill but Maribel was sure the pair would not be cool for long after they started with a game of tag. But for now, she loves to feel them close to her, the flutter of rapid heartbeats.
The soft features of her stallion come into view along with a smile on his lips. Mari would have blushed all over if her color change had been present but that magic was still nixed but instead she extends the alabaster of her neck so her lips may be the first to greet Romek. Blue eyes follow as he sniffs the children, their curiosity rather evident once Maribel ushers them with a soft coo. "This is your father-" Mari lowers her head so the twins are on either side before motioning to each child, "and this is Arete and Alivia." Mari looks to Rom in hopes to see his approval for their names. Mari could not simply lead them without names. That was cruel in her opinion. "It is okay, my love. Do not be sorry for without you we would not have our girls or our home." A gentle smile covers the gold of her lips as she steps closer to him and wraps herself around him in a much needed embrace. Slowly, she nuzzles against him, wrapping her neck around him with closed eyes.
It is when he must ask her something that she pulls away to meet the amber of his pools with her own. Concern darkens them slightly as he looks away to claw at the soft soil of their home, lobes forward as she eagerly awaits the precious tones from his tongue...
"Yes, Romek! A thousand times, yes!" The words flew from her own lips as she can not help but feel a wetness in her eyes, excitement moving her against him with an excited little hop as she bounces into him with a little squeal, peppering his face with kisses. "I love you, Romek, forever and always." She speaks to him gently after calming but not wanting to pull away.
The children are not sure what is going on but they proceed to taunt one another while their parents make hugs and talk...none of this is very concerning. Maribel bends away to grab the scruff of their necks with gentle but firm teeth into the embrace despite their protests. This was one of the happiest days of Maribel's life and so this would be a family embrace whether the fillies liked it or not.
And when she laughs you'll always take notice.
'Cause her heart's charm will shine right through it all.
He notices the absence of her usual colour-fluttering, and he figures that she must not have her color changing anymore, and what he is seeing here was her natural colour. Not a beautiful golden anymore, no, but a beautiful white-and-gold. And their children seem to have inherited their mother’s colouring, and their coats remind him of the night that he and Maribel had spent together, beneath the stars, with the stars, her own skin a canvas of sunset, moon and star. And here, even the little indigo girl had white spots up her neck… Similar to his own spots.
”Arete and Alivia.” he repeats, with a slight pang. He should’ve been at their birth, he knows, he wished he had been there. He missed the birth of their first children. But there was no helping that, and his lady wife had picked out their names well, and his approval was written across the stallion’s face in smiles.
And, although internally he was puffing up like a peacock at her praise, he simply says; ”I had to do right by my family. It is our own place. Free from other’s agendas. Here we can be safe, and raise our children, and have others be safe and raise their children here also.” he pauses, reflecting. ”There is a lot to talk about. It can wait.” he reiterates, because goddamnit there was a lot to talk about, but he just wanted this moment to be her and him, and them, all together.
His heart skips a beat as there is no response, but it is only momentary, and she exclaims his name and he breathes a sigh of relief, not realising he was holding his breath all this time. ”And I love you too, my sweet.” He paused, looked at their twins at their feet, and corrected himself. ”My sweets.” the only thing that would make this moment sweeter would be the addition of Espeon, Durotan and Lilitha – but it would seem they were off exploring, playing in the Taiga, discovering new places. And who could blame them? This place was expansive, different, and entirely new (despite what the thick carpet of shed needles on the floor may suggest). No equine had ever step foot here before.
”Let’s go explore, all of us, and let’s see what we can find.” he suggests with a grin and gleaming, happy eyes. They could talk later in the evening, when the children were asleep. Perhaps they could seek Demian out also but – he gets ahead of himself. He wanted to enjoy this moment with his family, and firmly put the worries (of Maribel’s father, and the Tundrans, and Demian, and leading, and what they would do now) out of his head. Now was a time for celebration and happiness, and not for worries.
