Keep on Walking; Fiasko

[Jason]

There had been a meeting-A meeting with a conclusion that raised two new horses to power. Jason hadn’t been exceptionally pleased with the results. He cared not to serve beneath Mast and Fiasko, but rather Fiasko by herself. He cared to serve his queen with as much valor as he had intended to do with both Parvati and Magdala. Unfortunately with the granting of both a king and a queen he didn’t feel as motivated to take on the same type of responsibility as he had originally planned. He wasn’t going to be the ‘man of the house’ per say- It was kind of a pathetic feeling, one that Jason wasn’t too proud of. He was proud of Fiasko though. She deserved her position, and he wanted to be the first to unofficially congratulate her. It was finally spring, Jason’s favorite time of the year. The trees were becoming full again with bright green leaves, and the birds were returning home. He hoped that Fiasko would be wandering around her home as well. Jason stuck to a slow trot as he wove between the trees were he had been lying. The cool temperatures of the air embraced him, making the journey far more comfortable. Sweat didn’t form as quickly in such weather and that meant that he would appear more rested and surely smell much better than normal. Two results that he had somewhat grown to care about especially now that he was seeking out his newly initiated queen. Once Jason reached the flatter part of the kingdom an open field offered a much better line of sight than the thickly arranged trees. In the distance he quickly spotted Fiasko, a sight to behold, and for a moment, just a moment, he paused his movements and watched her from afar. ”Hey!” He yelled as he approached Fiasko. ”I wanted to come find you.” He said quieter once he had managed a comfortable distance between them. He grinned and then proceeded to bow his head. ”Congratulations, my queen” jason magical son of eol and ashling

[Fiasko]

fiasko

It's not official yet, but it might as well be.  She and Mast are the new rulers of the Gates.  And it terrifies her.  

Never before has she had any kind of responsibility like this.  Before, she was just a nobody, a little pion working quietly to make the Gates a better place (and often failing).  Now she is Queen Fiasko … and the world of Beqanna will come to know her ruined face a little better.

She had been somewhat nonchalant about it before, but what if she does screw up?  What if she lets the kingdom down?  She would never be able to look at her parents, Camelia or Mast in the face again.  She would never be able to face Jason again …

She still doesn’t know what had possessed the stallion to suggest her name in line for the throne, and she finds it both wonderful and scary to have someone with so much faith in her.  She just hopes she doesn’t disappoint him.

She paces back and forth under the Mother Tree, trying to figure out what her first step should be.  Perhaps she should call a meeting, to at least make it official.  Yes, that would make sense.  And it would make things easier on on Camelia.  And after that …?  Perhaps she and Mast should meet to discuss alliances?  Though they are both the adoptive children of Finnley and Kaelie, they do not have the blood connection advantage.  One of their current alliances might not look so favourably upon that.

Nerves afire, she doesn’t notice the blue-grey stallion until he calls out.  She freezes for a moment, startled.  “Oh!  Jason!”  She recovers and her characteristically crooked smile bursts across her face.  She’s come to like the stallion since his arrival in the Gates, even if she still doesn’t understand his faith in her.  “Oh I … thank you!”  If she’d been human she would have blushed.  “I think I’m going to have to take you up on your offer of help though.  I have no idea what I’m doing.”  Probably not the best thing to hear from your new queen’s mouth.  But it’s the truth.  And she feels that can be honest with Jason, that she should be honest with him.

i'm still waiting for the world to end

[Jason]

Fiasko returned his greeting with equal enthusiasm causing the smile along Jasons’ lips to broaden. He was proud of her. It wasn’t the same pride that a parent may have for a child, but rather a sense of satisfaction that someone had finally been gifted a deserved honor. Fiasko was someone that Jason had come to depend on. She had a love for the Gates and an obvious goal that would lead to its’ resurrection. No one would make a better queen. ”Oh, I am sure that is not true.” He said in response to her request of help. A light laugh hung below his words. ”You’ve been here far longer then I, but I’d be happy to help in whatever way possible.” His voice was deep, thick with underlying thoughts that he had been carrying for sometime. Fiasko had untapped potential that he could already see blossoming with each new encounter. Jason’s eyes rested easily upon Fiaskos’ face, and he watched her in the dull roar of silence that had come after he finished speaking. His gaze followed the wrinkles and scars that formed half her face and than merged into the slender, youthful side. Slowly Jason rocked forward and placed his nose to hers. It was a quick and gentle touch, and once he had inhaled her scent briefly he retreated to his former stance. ”Has anyone ever told you just how uniquely beautiful your scars are?” jason magical son of eol and ashling

[Fiasko]

fiasko

She’s not entirely sure how to handle compliments, to be honest. They’re not something she’s used to receiving, especially not from horses that are not her adoptive parents. She shuffles awkwardly and glances at the ground, but forces herself to look back up and meet his eyes. She is queen now, after all. She needs to practice acting like one. “Ah well, I haven’t done that much until now though. Not really.” A few failed attempts at recruiting. One successful steal. Not a lot in the grand scheme of things. “I want to do more though. And I will greatly appreciate any help you can give me.” She and Mast will definitely need it if they are to make the kingdom more active.

She stiffens as she notices his eyes travel to her scars. She knows they stand out, and she knows that he doesn’t care about them, but it makes her feel awkward all the same. When he speaks it takes her a moment to even understand what he’s saying. “B … beautiful?” She freezes, stunned. No one has ever called her beautiful before. Her first instinct would be to think that he’s making fun of her. But this is Jason. He wouldn’t do that. “N … no.” Her eye drops to the ground again, unable to meet his gaze. If she were human, she would be flushed bright red. “Never.” Beautiful is not a word that she or anyone else has ever used to describe her ruined mess of a face.

i'm still waiting for the world to end

[Jason]

Jason nods his head in reassurance. He can tell that Fiasko was taken back by his comment, and he hoped she didn’t take it negatively. It wasn’t his intention to draw soul attention to her deformity rather he hoped to point out one of her defining features; A feature that to Jason shared in her overall beauty. When her eyes dropped Jason did his best to follow them. With his head hanging lower he stepped forward once again and held himself there. He could feel her breath against his nose, and he exhaled allowing their air to intertwine. ”Well you are.” He whispers simply. His stance holds still as he took in the moment, standing ever so close to the sabino mare. His eyes glance upward in an attempt to share the moment with her. ”I’m quite proud to call you my queen.” He breaks the silence, his voice just a tad bit louder than a whisper. ”Please tell me more, I want to know more about you.” He leaned back, separating them by a few inches. He couldn’t stand to be too far away, but he didn’t wish to invade her space any more especially since he didn’t know if they shared in equal affection. Jason simply wished to hear Fiasko share her world with him. He wanted to know more than just the obvious- it was impossible for her to share too much. jason magical son of eol and ashling

[Fiasko]

fiasko

She feels so unsure. Beautiful is not a word she would have ever used to describe her face. It’s not a word that anyone has ever used to describe her face. But she knows Jason. She’s come to know the stallion fairly well since he joined the kingdom, well over a year ago. And she knows him to be a kind, compassionate and caring soul. And an honest one. He wouldn’t say something like that unless he meant it. Surely? “Thank you.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “And I … I’m glad to have you here.” Ugh such an awkward thing to say. She’s struck by a random thought that he’s quite handsome himself, but she squashes it down. He might think her beautiful, but that doesn’t mean he’s interested in her in that way. Then he asks to know more and she freezes, for just a moment.

“I don’t know that there’s much to tell. Finnley and Kaelie adopted me when I was a year old and raised me here. I kept to myself for a long time. I was too ashamed of … well … my face.” She hangs her head awkwardly. She thinks she knows what he really wants to know. It’s hard to talk about though. She’s never told anyone about it ever before, not even her adoptive parents. But something about Jason makes her want to try. “I … I guess there’s a little more than that. I … my mother did this to me.” She raises her head to meet his eyes. “I don’t remember why. All I remember is her calling me an abomination and beating me with her hooves and biting me. And then she abandoned me. I lived by myself on the outskirts of Beqanna until I was a yearling.” She exhales heavily. She doesn’t mention the heartbeat. She doesn’t want him to think that she’s crazy.

i'm still waiting for the world to end

[Jason]

He was only a few measly inches from Fiasko, but when she spoke he drew closer. He could feel his tail brush his legs. It was the only tantalizing touch that kept him distracted from her words. Everything else felt shut off as if the world around him had turned to black. Jason knew that the Gates had been Fiasko’s home for a long time. He had no idea that she had been adopted into its ranks, and the name Kaelie that rang a bell. Jason recalled she was the duchess who spoke briefly at their kingdom meeting. At the time he didn’t make the familial connection between the two, of course, there was no reason to with the lack of familial resemblance. Fiasko hung her head low, and Jason shifted uncomfortably. It wasn’t his intention to press the issue of her history. He didn’t want her to feel pressure. Rather he wanted to be her support- he wanted to be her crutch, her strong shoulder. There was a pause, and then she shared. To say that Jason was surprised would be an understatement. He was angry, and he could feel the rage form a fire pit in his belly. His face stiffened when she looked at him. He breathed in and exhaled deeply. It wasn’t his place to form disdain for a mare he had never met, but given the chance Jason would not have been able to control himself from inflicting the same awful offense on Fiasko’s mother. He knew that it took strength to share what Fiasko had shared. It was no surprise to him that the sabino mare held strength unseen to most. His face softened after a moment, and he rested his gaze on Fiasko for a long pause. He thought about the pain, the strength, the courage that clearly filled her every depth, and he began to grow in admiration for her. He leaned forward and placed his lips onto the scarred side of her face. He blew softly into her cheek. ”Well she was wrong.” He sang softly ”You are not an abomination. You are a queen. A beautiful, strong queen.” His voice drifted as he spoke. His lips trailed down to her neck and he sweetly nibbled on a few tresses of her mane. jason magical son of eol and ashling

[Fiasko]

There's almost a feeling of relief when the words leave her lips.

There it is - her big secret. The story behind her scar. Out in the open for him to scrutinize. But he doesn't.

Instead he reaches forward and kisses her scar. He tells her that her mother was wrong, that she's not abomination. That she's a queen. And once again he calls her beautiful.

She cries then. It's unexpected - one moment she's fine, then the next there are tears running down her face. She leans in to Jason's touch as his lips travel along her neck and mane. No one's ever talked to her like this before. She feels ... happy, almost. Loved even. It's almost impossible to describe - it's such a new feeling for her.

Then she turns to Jason, returning his caresses. Her lips travel along his neck, gently exploring the blue-grey coat. It seems odd to her, to be doing this, but so right at the same time. This is Jason after all - kind, sweet, honest Jason, that she's come to know so well. But it's such an intimate gesture and after a few moments she pulls away nervously. Her eye nervously seeks out his. Is this ok? Or is she going too far? Maybe he just wanted to comfort her. Maybe he was just trying to be a good friend.

But something tells her he's not. That there's something more here, something special.

Or, at least she hopes there is. She really, really hopes.

[Jason]

He hung so close to her that he could smell her sweet scent. It enveloped every ounce of him. It filled every pore, and practically hypnotized him to her side. She stood so graciously, accepting every bit of him as he trailed down her neck. She tasted just as fragrant and honeyed as her scent. He then arched his neck and body so that her head fell into him. The reciprocating touch sent whirls of emotions through him and he hugged her closer. His chin rested on the rim of her shoulder as she continued to touch him. He closed his eyes and savored the intimate embrace. Soon Jason felt a tug of separation. His head slowly lifted from its spot and he felt Fiasko’s body and neck pull away from his own. He opened his eyes upon the brash cold that hit his body where Fiasko’s warmth had shielded it. He searched for Fiasko’s eyes for a hint as to why she moved away, and he notices that there had been tears. He doesn’t catch the questioning glance instead he moves closer again and places his lips on the dampened cheeks. ”What’s wrong…?” He whispers. ”Have I upset you?” jason magical son of eol and ashling

[Fiasko]

fiasko

God he smells so right. He feels so right. But is she making a mistake? Is she misunderstanding? And yet, when she pulls away, she almost gets a sense of confusion from Jason. Almost as if she’s hurt him.

Is this real? Maybe, just maybe it is …

She asks if he’s upset her, and her heart almost breaks. “NO, no … it’s nothing like that …” She leans in to the touch of his lips. “I just …” Her head drops, struggling to find the words. How can she even put what she’s feeling into words? “Why … why me?”

Yes, why her? There are so many other mares out there, far prettier and more impressive than she. Mares that are more confident … less damaged …

Even though he calls her beautiful, she is not. She might have been, if not for her mother. But as it is …

Half of her face is a ruined mess - scarred and pink and ugly. Destroyed. The only reason she sits on the Gates throne is because, besides Mast, there was not one else to do so.

Jason on the other hand is handsome, caring and kind. And powerful. He could have anyone - anyone! She’s already seen one mare (Voudou) trying to vie for his affection. And yet, he’s interested in her? Is he? Or is she just imagining it?

“Why me?”

i'm still waiting for the world to end