"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
It would seem that they would meet after each new promotion, and only then.
Much has changed in Tephra, and now,
in Beqanna, in such a short amount of time, and Dahmer seeks comfort in his friend's company. It is a wonder that he has been able to find Lucrezia alone today, she who had been constantly barraged since her crowning.
"I'm almost sorry to interrupt your alone time, my Queen."
A playful smile has found his lips, curling them upward handsomely. He relaxes visibly in front of the peafowl mare, interacting with her now just as he always had. A contented sigh escapes his maw as Dahmer turns his blue gaze from Lucrezia and to the contours of their home. It feels just as comfortable,
just as safe, as it always had. He wonders what had prompted Magnus to choose this moment to abdicate the throne, but he does not question the buckskin's decision.
Lucrezia had been the perfect choice.
He flicks his eyes back to the peafowl mare, all hint of joking gone from his demanor -- at least for this brief moment -- as he muses to her quietly.
"You will be a leader that every single member of this herd is proud to follow."
ooc / sorry i disappeared before D: i figured we needed a new thread after the announcement and all lmao <3
Here it comes with no warning; capsize, i'm first in the water
With the crowning came more than she had anticipated, more than she had wanted. She there would be responsibility but to what degree she had no idea. Her bloodline is full of past rulers of a world that no longer exists—she is no longer part of that world either. Rodrik, her father, and Straia, her sister, had both ruled the Chamber in a fashion she dared not turn Tephra too. Tephra deserved more than a headstrong individual leading the land and its people for the own benefit. Not at all would Lucrezia lead her home into the fire flames of hell itself.
She already can smell him before he is within speaking distance. Dahmer already has a spirited smile across his lips, which she cannot help but smile back to him in the same manner. “Queen,” she laughs softly at him when she settles near her, “I cannot be dared called such a thing.” Lucrezia is simple minded and truthfully the fancy title of queen seems far beyond this world she lives in currently. Tephra does not appear to be a kingdom but a land that is family orientated and a safe haven for others. Perhaps some kingdoms would rise up just as the old did, but she is simply a chosen leader by the former leader of Tephra.
Magnus, she knew, had his reasons why he had left. They had spoken at one point about building a place that at long last had turned into Tephra. Perhaps, she thought recently, he felt he had fulfilled his duty to his friends and family and was ready to hand the power and responsibility to someone else. Someone else she had never thought would be her—a leader, queen in the eyes of Dahmer.
Dahmer draws back his playful manner into one she hardly ever sees. His words strike hard in her heart when spoken to her. Lucrezia values Dahmer’s words more than she thought she might have. After all, he was a friend that she thought she would never find. Their relationship had blossomed quickly from the beginning he had arrived in Tephra. He was a blessing.
“I hope so,” she confesses out loud. Lucrezia does not feel she needs to hide her inner thoughts from the black stallion. “I’ve never lead anything truly before. Of course, leading the diplomat castes is hard work, but ruling an entire land and people is quite different.” She laughs softly at it, musing over the idea several times a day since she has been given the crown of power.
There is something about the way that Lucrezia turns towards him, her laughter ready as always, that quickens the rhythmic thub thub of Dahmer's heart. She denies her new title modestly - truthfully, he had expected nothing else - but Dahmer offers her nothing more than a quick wink of a blue eye in response.
He had ruled once. He had yearned for the throne of the Subway, had spent years trying to convince his father that he was ready to wear the crown. But when he finally received it, it was not with his father's approval, but with his death. It had not been the coronation that Dahmer had wanted, had dreamed of, or had expected. The memory is still bittersweet, tinged with a combination of pride and of sorrow. Nevertheless, he had ruled with what could be considered success - the Subway had flourished, though perhaps with an air that resembled Pangea more than it resembled the supportive, caring family that is Tephra.
He has changed much since then.
I hope so, she confesses, and it brings the black beast back to the present. Dahmer reaches out with his muzzle, his heart still beating its rapid staccato, and gives the peafowl mare a gentle nudge at her shoulder. He can see the uncertainty in her eyes as he retracts. "You have already conquered our volcano. No one else has had the courage to match the way you stepped up to the peak with no hesitation. And you've already conquered the hearts of the many who call this place home," his blue eyes turn from her now, finding his own uncertainty as he quietly adds: "I was serious when I said I would follow you into the winter."
The snow, the lava, the hurricane, the tornado. It matters not to the black stallion, and as it begins to worry him, Dahmer finds that his mouth has grown quite dry. He clears his throat, warring internally. He had wanted, still wants, to say more, but how? He'd been attracted, obviously, to other mares in his lifetime, but never to this extent. Never with this much respect. And should he chance their friendship to tell her? Would she think he was only looking for another crown to place atop his head?
Dahmer breaks the silence, finally, giving into his fears and changing the subject abruptly, "I don't mean to overstep my role, and please tell me if I do, but I think it would be wise to make an ally of Nayl sometime soon. Her presence in Beqanna has grown exponentially since she took Nerine from Naga, and while she can seem abrasive, I hear she is a good and fair ruler."
Here it comes with no warning; capsize, i'm first in the water
He touches her, and her heart skips just a beat.
She can feel the hair on her back stick up just a bit. Lucrezia smiles softly, naturally, when her friend speaks of nothing but positively about her and the path she has chosen to take. “You are right; I have nothing to be worried about.” Lucrezia feels very certain in his words and committing to what he has said. There was nothing to be fearful of and she cannot be a disappointment just yet. Lucrezia only has the mind set for her home and people when it comes to their well-being.
“I promise I won’t make you stay in the snow,” she adds softly but teasing him because she has come to know that he does not like the cold one bit. Lucrezia, however, would never want to put Dahmer in a situation that would risk the relationship she and him have develop together. There was so much there between them, but Lucrezia is hesitant to even acknowledge such feelings. She has always been skeptical of love, nor a need to ever seek out and find it too. Perhaps it came down to the love her family falsely made her believe that distorted her vision of love.
But there, in the very darkness, where she keeps all meaningful and secrets, lies something she might share with the black stallion.
It is confusing almost, but she does not allow herself to think on it now, there are more important matters ahead of her. She cannot just think of herself—she is not selfish. The mare made a promise when she first arrived to Tephra that she would not make a mistake again.
“Nerine,” she says loudly, thinking as Dahmer breaks the silence that developed between them. She remembers Nayl first coming to Tephra. Magnus had appeared to like her as much has she had during that time they all first met. “Yes, I met Nayl once.” The reputation of the sisterhood had not died, and continues to bloom no matter what disaster comes. “I think that is an excellent idea, Dahmer. We should go there together and speak to Nayl. It will be good to see how their people and land fare.” She also knows two other mares that live there—though it has been some time since she has seen the two of them but she realizes she has more friends in one place. Nerine would might a great ally if their positions aligned, of course.
Dahmer can't decide whether or not there is true attraction between him and Lucrezia, or if he has simply come to imagine it. He feels attracted to her, quite obviously, but the black Thoroughbred is less than inclined to believe that she could return the sentiment. This Dahmer, the one that Tephra and Beqanna have come to know, is warmer and kinder than any other version of himself up until this point, but there's a small inkling of self-doubt that is telling the black beast that he just may not be good enough for the Tephran Queen.
He dotes on it silently, his long tail flicking almost irritably for a brief moment. The strands whip at his legs and his flanks and then come to rest at his heels as he offers a warm bout of laughter at Lucrezia's jest. "I'll hold you to that, my dear," his voice rumbles with amusement.
Dahmer agrees to join her in Nerine immediately, his dark head nodding as he flicks his eyes in the direction of Nayl's kingdom, though it is only the vast expanse of Tephra that meets his gaze. "I must be doing something right, if you're still willing to adventure with me," he muses as he turns his blue eyes back to the winged mare, offering her a playful wink.
"When would you like to go?"
He loves Tephra, but there is something about Nerine that reminds Dahmer of the Subway, and the nostalgia floods into his broad chest as he remembers his adventure to the coastline with Jord. He would never forsake his new homeland, with its daunting volcano or its loosely knit magma streams, but it will do him good to change the scenery, at least for a little while, and maybe his eagerness shines through just a bit as he shifts in place and watches Lucrezia expectantly.
