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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    Shah/Wrynn
    #1
    Most days, most days stay the sole same
    Please stay, for this fear it will not die
    Down low, down amongst the thorn rows
    Weeds grow, through the lilies and the vines

    Motherhood suits the Spring; She is the bringer of new life, the opener of flowers, the awakener of trees. She is the essence of newness, the scent of the year’s first rain, the blade of grass peeking through Winter’s  last snowfall. She is the harbinger of Summer, the voice which heralds the coming months of comfort.

    Most importantly, she is the season who welcomes the children into life.

    Upon this spring day, however, Mother Spring takes leave from her three darlings (wolf-child, ivy-child, rain-child) and seeks the solace of the Meadow. What solace she finds in the memories is questionable (was she not forced into love by her sister to a whoremonger of a man, was she not tormented in her weakness by Eight, was she not seduced into the loss of her virginity to that very same magician only some years later), but perhaps it is the thought of new acquaintances which so appeal to her. It has been ages since she’s been away. She’s been ravelled in her own legacy, sprinting from lover to lover, seeing to her magical children, and sometimes visiting the Deserts.  While the world outside has been roaming from season to season, Mother Spring has been stuck in a rut. Perhaps this is her way of struggling out of it.

    When she enters the Meadow, it booms into activity. The grass stretches higher, the flowers are more vibrant, and the bunnies come in hoards to eat the newly created clovers. A herd of deer sweep through the land, frolicking gaily in the presence of their Mother. Wherever one may glance, the glory of spring is magnified by one thousand. She smiles at the thought (a smile which resides on alabaster bark instead of skin, bark which cracks reveal a glorious red undertone with a faint glowing green just beneath it. Red willow branches brush against her neck and hocks, and in her mane and tail, white dogwood flowers grow with glowing green centers. Finally, where normal eyes should be, pupilless orbs lay, glowing the same Kelly-green as the rest of her glowy parts.)

    noori
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    #2
    all things are possible
    even the worst of things
    He is doing one thing he does very well (lounging) when he notices the change in the meadow. Spring is a time of new buds and quick growth, but he’s fairly certain it does not arrive this quickly. He pulls himself into a more upright position from where he had been sprawled upon the grass, soaking in the warm spring sunshine. His dark muzzle brushes against the surge of new grass and clover, a surprised snort escaping his nostrils at the way it tickles before suddenly sprouting up another inch. With the thought echoing in his mind that he might soon be overtaken by this new growth if he doesn’t move, he clambers to his feet, stretching to his full (rather impressive) height.

    His chocolate brown gaze sweeps the meadow, searching for the cause of this unnatural growth. He is well aware that there is likely only one reason the foliage is behaving this way. So when his gaze lands upon the bark covered mare with the willow branch hair, he cannot say that he is surprised. He had heard of her, of course. How could he not? They are siblings after all.

    It is rather fortuitous that she had managed to stumble upon him. He had been intending to seek her out, but she had saved him the trouble. Almost as soon as he starts forward however, he is forced to halt as several bunnies dart across his path. He stares at the small brown creatures in surprise, wondering what they are doing out. Normally the critters are quite shy. But the moment the thought occurs, the realization comes. His dark gaze moves back to the mare, curiosity in their depths.

    Once the rabbits are safely out of harm’s way, he continues his approach. A grin quirks his lips then, just before he halts a comfortable distance from his sister. When he speaks, he cuts straight to the chase.

    So, by that display I can only assume that you’re Noori?
    shahrizai
    html c Insane
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    #3
    Oh look, oh my star is fading
    And just like that, it's an impromptu family reunion.

    Well, perhaps not just like that. The story begins that morning in the jungle. Wrynn had been sleeping, tucked up as she usually is, when one of her friends had woken her. She didn't mind, of course, she'd do anything for her friends, and if they wanted to experience waking up at the earliest of early times, she's happy to accommodate. You see, her friends aren't the normal kind of friends that a filly should have. Her friends are all dead, dead friends she'd made while chasing after a madman's lost love on the fringes of reality. Upon returning, she'd been (thankfully) gifted with mediumship, an ability to stay connected with them and to give them at least a tiny taste of what the world feels like. Perhaps to other yearlings this would feel like a burden; perhaps they would struggle with the challenge of coping, but to Wrynn it's simply perfectly natural. And besides, she enjoys the company.

    They wander about the predawn jungle for a bit, the lone girl and her head full of dead foals. She talks with Rain, she talks with Kora (the dead foal, not the living sister of Rhy), and eventually they all decide to go to the Meadow. It's early yet, but the sun is up. It's shaping up to be a fine day, a spring day, and the meadow is alive with creatures.

    Wrynn hasn't taken more than a few steps into the meadow's borders before the world seems to become a little bit too alive with creatures. The grass grows in a way she's never seen, and small animals scurry about in a happy frenzy. She's delighted rather than being scared, and a melodic, happy giggle slips out from her throat as some of the fluffier denizens of the meadow stream around her and tickle her pasterns.

    It's only after the wave of bunnies and other baby things has passed that she thinks to look up. "Noori!" Rain's voice is excited in her head. Wrynn is still too young to understand what that means. In the same way she's never heard of Carnage, she knows nothing of her older sister. Rain explains what she knows, and it's enough for the small bay girl to decide that a visit is in order.

    She arrives just in time to hear a male voice speaking, confirming what Rain had said. So it is Noori, and she's well known enough for this guy to know who she is just by what she did to the Meadow. Although, she thinks, with an ability like that, you probably can't avoid being well-known.

    She steps toward the pair, her eyes a rainbow of shifting colors, her small bay body otherwise unremarkable. It takes her only a moment to recognize the blue roan, now that she can see him. He was present at the meeting that her mother had called in the jungle, so he couldn't be anything too scary. It hasn't yet occurred to her that he's her brother.

    "Shahrizai." she speaks, her gentle voice a soft greeting. She remembers his name from the meeting (she's pretty good at remembering names, it turns out), remembering how his mother had spoken it as she'd looked at the tailless stallion. Then she turns her attention to mother spring, looking for the first time at the mare herself.

    Her little rainbow eyes go wide as her gaze slides across the white bark, the willow branches, and the green. But she's not scared. "You're so pretty." she says to Noori, her voice even softer with awe.
    wrynn
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    #4
    Most days, most days stay the sole same
    Please stay, for this fear it will not die
    Down low, down amongst the thorn rows
    Weeds grow, through the lilies and the vines

    Really, the trouble of finding her would not have been all so troublesome at all. Considering her younger brother’s fascination with certain Valley-women, it really could not have been so hard to meander further into the kingdom and spot not only his sister, but her three children. Well, if he had hurried his ass up, maybe he could have met his nephews and niece. As it is, Nihlus has settled in the Tundra, and the other two have gone on “a great adventure, to somewhere new!” Ah, the ways of the young.

    He approaches her with a mighty swagger, though she immediately notices the lack of a swishing tail. Humorous. Settling herself amongst the long grasses with a cock of her wooden brow, Noori awaits the arrival of a stallion whom she has never met, and whom she has never heard of.

    Scorch and she really got off on the wrong foot; she has created her own family to fill the emptiness which her own mother created inside of her. You can’t blame her for not recognizing him for who he is.

    ”My, my, I am more popular than I imagined.” She says with an air of snobbery, though the smile with caresses the corners of her mouth remains genuine. In the next moment, it has turned into a frown. Small thorn bushes sprout between them as a warning. ”If you’re here for sex though, you can fuck off. I’ve got enough testosterone in my life.” Oh, my dear Noori. How three suitors have changed you; nothing of the innocent little deer remains, oh no. You stand before me now, decked out in poisons, thorns, and ivies.

    Another soul approaches, a young one, and female. After giving the stallion a fearsome glare through her glowing green eyes, she turns her attention to the child, allowing her expression to lighten. Mother Spring adores her children, most certainly. The rainbow-eyed dolly greets the stallion by name, though even at this point Noori does not recognize the two horses as her siblings. Years – a decade? Have passed since she last visited the Jungle, or even a place that was not the Meadow, Deserts, or Valley. Though powerful, Noori is woefully uninformed.

    “Thank you, darling,” She coos, watching as a fawn bounds towards the filly. The spotted deer-child stares through wide blue eyes at the bay horse-child before making up her mind and snuggling into Wrynn’s side. “You are very pretty, too. But young. Where are your parents dear? The meadow harbours bad people.” She speaks out of her mother’s heart, a heart which is split in three, each piece belonging to one man and their subsequent offspring. Sinder and Nihlus, Trekk and Daemron, Eight and Cerva. The tug-of-war never ends; she has become accustomed to the constant shattering of her heart by now.

    noori


    So this is what happens when I write one Noori post after writing four Scorch posts. It’s uber hard to transition between the two lmao but this is so late AND OMG FAMILY REUINION!!!
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    #5
    all things are possible
    even the worst of things
    As it turns out, he’s really not very good at hurrying up. While he might be a fantastic hand at lounging and dilly-dallying, he has yet to learn the fine art of not procrastinating. There are too many distracting things in this world. Too many fun horses to talk that he just happens to stumble across. Too many naps to take. His time these days seems to be equally divided between finding new horses to pester and finding new places to sleep. But what else is a lone stallion who has zero clues about what he wants to do with life supposed to do?

    He hadn’t really expected her to recognize him (their mother had told him a bit of her history with her first two daughter’s after all). But he definitely had not expected thorn bushes. His surprise is evident as the prickly plants sprout up between them. Her accompanying words nearly knock him back on his tailless bum. And though he does not fall backwards, he does take several involuntary steps. As he does, horror tinged with a hint of disgust replace surprise on his features. That is until he realizes how unflattering his reaction probably had been. Smoothing his features, he clears his throat awkwardly.

    Uh, no. Definitely not. We’re actually, uh, related.

    Before he can finish telling her exactly who he is, he spies the young bay filly approaching. His features immediately relax into a smile, his stiff body posture softening. As she draws close, he recognizes her. Wrynn. Another sister he had been meaning to get to know a little better. Well, this day is turning out to be most convenient.

    Hello Wrynn.

    With a subtle shift of his body, he places the bulk of his rather massive weight between the young filly and the bark covered mare, chocolate brown eyes watching Noori warily. If she didn’t know who he is, he highly doubts she will know who the bay girl with the odd eyes is. Fortunately her reception of Wrynn is much kinder than her reception of him. Relaxing, he watches as the fawn approaches her, a slight smile once again touching his lips. He remains near however. Though he does not believe Noori would harm the small filly, her mention of the dangers inherent in the meadow cause a surge of protectiveness.

    As she asks her final question, he clears his throat yet again. That, at least, was something he could clear up.

    Well, as I’m sure you heard, I’m Shahrizai. I’m also your brother. And Wrynn is your sister.
    shahrizai
    html c Insane
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    #6
    Oh look, oh my star is fading
    The tree-woman thanks her, and Wrynn smiles, a small, shy smile. But it's only a few moments before the smile turns into an awestruck, serious expression.

    Being from the jungle, Wrynn never seen a fawn before. And she's certainly never seen one so close. As it approaches her, her rainbow eyes go impossibly wide. She stays so still, barely daring to breathe, not wanting to frighten it away. It noses at her, tentative, gentle – and then it nestles into her side. Wrynn can't help herself, she squeals in absolute, unabashed glee. It's so unlike her, to make a noise like that, and it only takes a moment for her to realize that she might accidentally frighten it away. Like a child who slaps a hand over their mouth upon realizing they've done something wrong, Wrynn suddenly quiets herself. Instead, she curls back into the fawn, snuggling it right back.

    The dead children in her head, still quiet for the most part, can't help cooing a bit.

    The tree lady is talking again then, and Wrynn listens closely. She blushes and looks at the ground when the woman calls her pretty. She doesn't think of herself like that, she is simply Wrynn, not pretty, not anything but a conduit for the dead (in the best of ways). She thinks she should answer the woman's question, but she doesn't actually know where Scorch and Hestoni are – but luckily Shahrizai seems to have an answer ready.

    When he says they're all related, her little mouth hangs open. She can't imagine being related to a horse like the mare who stands before her. She looks back and forth between Shah and the mare, back and forth, and back and forth and –

    "Oh wow!" her voice is high pitched but strangely soft. She's trying to contain her excitement for the sake of the fawn, which she desperately hopes she won't scare away. "I can't believe I'm related to you!" she doesn't know any of the stories, she doesn't know that her mother is persona non grata in Noori's book. She only knows that she thinks this woman is one of the coolest in the world, and she couldn't be happier to call her sister.

    "Noori." Rain's voice is more insistent now, and Wrynn looks up at the tree-woman again with new understanding. "Noori." she says, her voice smaller and quieter again. "Your name is Noori." She smiles a little, proud of what she's figured out. "Our other sister, Rain, told me." Surely she'd know Rain. It doesn't even occur to Wrynn that their family might be fractured, that Noori might not have talked to Scorch in years. As far as Wrynn is concerned, Scorch is the best, most loving mother in the world – to all her other children. And Wrynn doesn't blame her for being a little cold toward Wrynn herself. There were reasons, the girl is sure of it.

    And besides, it's hard to be anything but optimistic when you're cuddling a fawn.
    wrynn


    Writing this post actually made me squeal with glee at the adorableness. I just thought you should know.
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    #7
    Most days, most days stay the sole same
    Please stay, for this fear it will not die
    Down low, down amongst the thorn rows
    Weeds grow, through the lilies and the vines

    Unflattering? Well, perhaps – perhaps if she hadn’t attacked him so entirely unflatteringly. Instead of pouting and turning away childishly from the man who she basically just flashed a shiv at for having testicles, Noori smiles prettily at the blue roan when he insists upon abstinence. A moment later, however, she’s puzzling over her mother’s inability to inform her of literally anything. Then again, Scorch only knew about her daughter’s triplets because of Nihlus. The troublesome one. Alas, they are grown, and no longer her concern.

    ”Well. Welcome to the family,” She breathes tightly, suddenly aware of how fucking awkward this entire situation is. Clearing her throat softly, Mother Spring watches what she believes to be her only – possible - brother block little Wrynn from harm’s way. Nice try, Shahwhatever. Her magic is not sight-based. Lucky for you, though; Noori loves children. It’s in her sap-like blood.

    Wrynn’s squeal pierces the discomfort, and the fawn attempts to bound away, though it ends up being more of a skitter-hop. Pursing her lips, Noori bends the mind of the poor little thing. Now, now, that won’t do. Abandoning the conversation for a moment, she pulls some strings here, and nudges some instincts there. In the next moment, the blue-eyed fawn slips quietly back to the bay-girl’s side, nose twitching as she reaches for Wrynn’s muzzle as if to apologize for being skittish. There. Much better.

    Catching the last bit of Shahrisomething’s spiel, Noori looks warmly upon Wrynn, who immediately begins gushing. Well, it’s not every day Mother Spring is also coincidentally your sister... In a completely non-incestuous way. ”Not many people are related to me. But my twin, while equally interesting, is very cruel.” She pouts, speaking in a very child-oriented fashion. “If I were you, I would steer clear of Kaida.” Talk about passive-aggressive. And begrudging. And just really fucking childish...

    In the next moment, the self-importance slips through the grates. Rain?
    “You... You can speak with Rain?” She blinks, even looking to Shahrizai (theeeere we go) for reassurance that this little bay girl isn’t entirely loco. “Tell her her sister – no, her sisters – say hi. But wait - if there’s you two...” She squints, suddenly sceptical. ”How many of us are there?”

    Oh, how she will regret asking.
    noori
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    #8

    All things are possible,
    even the worst of things.

    As the willow mare offers him a smile, he relaxes slightly. At least she’s not booting him out with no further ‘how do you do’ after finding out they’re siblings. He hadn’t initially been worried about it, but after her response to his approach, a niggling uncertainty had crept in. At any rate, he’s just glad she seems willing to talk to him. And at the very least, she seems to like Wrynn, which puts to rest any fears he might have had about her on that score.

    Wrynn’s squeal jerks his attention back to her. His chocolate brown eyes turning to her as she gushes over the fawn: the poor fawn that she had been startled into bounding away. The small animal does not make it far however, before it abruptly stops and turns back, cuddling into Wrynn’s side. If he had eyebrows, they would be disappearing into his hairline right about now. He turns his gaze back to Noori. It is clear that she is the reason the baby animal had turned back, so he offers her a small smile of thanks.

    As Noori’s attention turns back to the conversation at hand, Shahrizai studies her closely. He is understandably curious about his eldest sister, and he will unselfconsciously take this opportunity to learn what he can about her. At her first statement however, he grins, a burst of laughter escaping him. He can’t help it. Not many related to her? She probably has half of Beqanna related to her by now. He quiets himself when she asks about Rain. He too, is quite curious. He knows of Rain, of course, though he doesn’t know how his younger sister could have actually spoken to her.

    As Noori finishes, asking just how many of them there are, Shahrizai’s expression turns thoughtful, though the grin still rests easily on his lips. To be honest, he wasn’t even sure he had an exact count.

    Well, he says, drawing the word out slightly. After you and Kaida, there’s our brother, Simeon. Then it was me, followed by our sister Ea. Then it was Wrynn and her twin Leiland. And then our youngest sister, Sarkis. Who knows, maybe there’s more on the way. I’ve gotta say, mom and dad have been popping them out like crazy lately. He grins at his comment, though he knows his mother probably would not have appreciated his humor (even if it is undeniably true).

    Shahrizai

    Hestoni x Scorch

    html c insane | picture c johnyvrr.deviantart.com


    Ok, so, I'm bending time a little bit. I know Sarkis wasn't technically born yet when this started. Oops.
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