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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


    Kingdom Meeting I :: MANDATORY for All who plan to stay/join pls
    #1

    this time I’m torn, please wake me if I lose that face
    search in these eyes: there’s still fire in the darkness

    So it was done.

    Following his removal, Castile was exiled for his violence as promised. The disruption to their sanctuary was unwelcome by all but a very select few, which itself was another confusion for her to settle. How on earth could they agree they all wanted a sanctuary and yet be so eager to accept a man like that with an entrance such as his was? The extreme opposite to what their sanctuary was and stood for. It made no sense at all, and she'd likely just have to reason it away that they were just idiots. What else could it be?

    That was a minor issue at the moment, though. There were things far more important to straighten out and it would require a meeting. A real one. Her first one. Never in her damn life had she ever imagined she'd be in this position.

    She stared at the retreating figure, counting her breaths. She could do this, she could do this. It was fine. It was probably temporary anyway. No big deal. They cleaned up the mess, and now they would settle this thing about leadership. Unless there was again no one else to make a stand for it. Then she would be staying on until they felt someone else was better suited for it.

    God, she wished Ea was here. She wished Sabrael was here. She'd feel more steady with his quiet presence near.

    Despite her reservations, she was not afraid of this. She turned and strode back to the gathering, her ice-rimmed brown eyes sharp and her steps once again clicking across thin sheets of ice underfoot. She halted before them. There may be more people here than before. Castile's group hadn't given them a reason to exile them as well and so they were welcome to stay should they choose to. As she made clear previously.

    There was still quiet movement when she spoke up, the strangers following him out or settling to stay and the residents making their own choices to do the same as well.

    "It is done," she said clearly, looking over their faces. "The sanctuary has been restored, thanks to all of us." Or, well. Most of them. But no matter. "Now that we have recovered, what would you like to see for the future?" She didn't look at Reilly directly when he returned to her side again, but she took an easier breath with his solid support, relaxed subtly. He was such a constant in her life, and she was so grateful to have him.

    "Is there anyone else that would prefer to lead? If so, could you introduce yourself to everyone in case there are those that are unfamiliar with you and state why you feel like you'd be suited for it? That would help us feel surer of any decisions made." She glanced over them again, seeing that she was heard. Then nodded shortly and took a breath.

    "I guess I'll start." Since she was currently in this position. "I'm Wallace. This is my family," she gestured to the majority of them that were present. "Reilly, Kirby, Kharon, Kali, Badden. My daughter Kylin and her two daughters also live here. We came from Ischia, where my children were born and raised and where Reilly and Kirby used to lead." Hell, where Tiphon once led, though he seemed a different man now.

    "For our future, I'd like to see more parties or gatherings even if it's just among ourselves. It brings a sense of community that I think suits the sanctuary and feels welcoming to anyone wanting to visit and see if they'd like to stay with us. It also could help spread the word of our refuge to anyone unfamiliar with the designated safe lands that may be sick or know of someone that is sick and in need of some healing and comfort."

    She stopped to give the stage to the next person so to speak, but a thought came to her and she threw it out there first in case it sounded more comfortable or more appealing to anyone. "If we'd prefer not having a sole leader among us, we could also discuss some kind of a committee." Then she fell quiet and waited.

    Wallace


    I don't like mandatory things but I think that has to be on there to make it official possibly? So despite her novel, feel free to make posts short and simple and she likely will after this one also lol

    As stated in the takeover thread, Castile is exiled from Island Resort for one Beqanna year. His family/friends/etc are welcome to stay if they choose to. Everyone else is also welcome to stay or go, of course.

    Propose any leadership changes (including leader vs. committee if they want to comment on that). Let them introduce themselves and if everyone also adds in a note every character they have that lives here, we can just count this as an ooc activity check as well. Two birds with one stone and such. Makes it easier on everyone :) Also if you have multiple characters here, feel free to just post one or write them in a single character's post if they want to be seen/heard etc.

    Wallace
    Kharon
    Dustov
    Cimmerian
    Brightly
    Zynistra
    Dovev -- 
    Dagen -- these two may or may not be changing soon but prior to voting thing, they are both here so I'll count them unless/until that changes.
    Reply
    #2

    bitterness is thick like blood and cold as a wind sea breeze
    if you must drink of me, take of me what you please

    Woolf had not bothered to intervene, although he had watched as it unfolded.

    Had it escalated to further violence, had she been in true danger, he would have stepped in—he would have protected her—but it hadn’t and so he hadn’t stepped in. Instead he had watched as she had asserted herself. He had watched as she stepped forward, her chin lifted and her eyes so determined and he had felt a strange sensation in his chest, something that tightened and spread and clicked into place.

    Well, damn.

    So he doesn’t stay hidden, although there is parts of him that wants nothing to do with all of the messiness that is sure to come from it. Instead he finally steps forward, making his way across the sand and the dunes, his heavy hooves moving slowly, the sand beginning to stick to the heavy feathering.

    His emerald eyes cut to the purple stallion, watching him coolly for a second, before they slide to Wallace. He studies her beneath his mulberry forelock, lips pressing together in thought. “I could use a home,” he finally offers, although it’s not entirely true. He’s never struggled to find a place to rest. “In exchange, I could be of service for anyone who needed to be healed from the plague.”

    He’s done it before—drawn upon his own magic to drive it out of their bodies.

    It wasn’t easy, but it was possible.

    “If you would have me, that is,” he says, humor curving the corner of his lips, the words spoken for Wallace and Wallace alone. He didn’t see anyone else anymore. Just her.

    woolf

    I am loathed to say it's the devil's taste

    Reply
    #3
    She was a goddess, standing tall and proud, pulling them all together and making a home out of what could have been disaster. Ice rimmed her angel eyes as she looked out at them, but it didn’t seep into her voice, just this gorgeous strength he’d known was hiding in there. She was what made them a family. Always had been.

    He wasn’t the first to answer her, caught up in admiring and a little slow on the uptake. Shame. Her off-purple stranger opened his mouth and made it clear he intended to settle in, and Kirby ignored him. For now, the man was none of his business. He wasn’t about to welcome him with open arms, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna throw down and object right now either. Not when there were more important things to deal with than the unfamiliar jealousy that spiked inside him when he saw the other man.

    “I’m with you, Lacey. I’ve never much cared what shape the leadership of this land took. We’re not a kingdom, we’re not striving for any kind of political power, we’re just here to raise our families in peace, be a safe haven in this shitstorm. A sanctuary, that’s what drew us here, that’s what kept us here. I’m open to whatever shape that takes, whether it’s one leader or a council, doesn’t matter to me as long as the people who need it get a say. I’ll fight for you, though. Against any threat where you need my strength. I’ll be your champion, Lace, your weapon. I meant what I said to Tiphon. I’ll fight to protect our sanctuary, to keep our family safe.” To keep you safe.
    Call me the world's sexiest killing machine.


    Oh um. I intend to post at least a couple of them, but also here: Kali, abashed, Disastardly, Defy. I feel like I'm forgetting someone...oh also Umbra. Maybe that's all? :| We'll see.
    Reply
    #4

    She is glad when the gathering does not end in violence and bloodshed, glad when the vote sways in Wallace’s favor and the home she has recently come to know is still safe. Though it is impossible to truly know what Castile might have done with the island, what path he might have chosen for them, Luster was quite certain it would not have been something she wanted. Not when his introduction had been laced in violence, the voices of those already living here silenced, their concerns unheard.

    Her gaze lifts to welcome Wallace back to their group, a soft smile sneaking onto her lips as the first to greet her is Luster’s own brother, Woolf. She hadn’t known that they had met, hadn’t realized they were friends, but somehow it feels fitting to see so much of her own family tangled with Kharon’s. Her dark eyes slip quietly through the gathered crowd, searching for the lavender face that makes her smile soften and her eyes glow with gentle affection. Kharon. She brushes against his mind so briefly, gentling her thought so it does not distract from the purpose of the meeting. Yeah, of course their families are tangled.

    She listens quietly, her eyes first on Wallace, then Woolf, and then the man who must be Kharon’s father. When it is quiet, she hesitates for a beat and then takes her turn. Though Wallace had asked only for those interested in leading to introduce themselves, she decides to introduce her little family anyway. It would be good for everyone to know each other, right? She winces, hopes she isn’t overstepping.

    “I’m Luster,” she offers softly for anyone gathered who might not know her yet, those dark eyes exploring the nearest faces, “I live here with most of my family, too.” There is a tug on one corner of her mouth, a shade of amusement in the dark of her eyes as a crooked smile blossoms across her mouth. “There might be too many of us to name before the sun sets, but these three are mine. My daughter, Dark, and my sons, Merry and Dustov.” She gestures to each in turn, touching her nose to their necks as she names them. “For me, the Island has always been a sanctuary. A place I can raise my children without fear of what or who might find them, a place I can protect them from the plague and the kind of danger we encountered today.” Her brow furrows softly beneath her forelock, worry tinting her eyes a shade darker. “I’d like for us to stay that way, be that for anyone else who might need it.”

    She frowns a beat, not even realizing she’s done so, and glances down at the faces of her perfect babies. To make their home into something so ideal meant to risk the attention of those who would want to take it for themselves. Like Castile who claimed he wanted sanctuary and safety but had not hesitated to simply take it for himself. There would be others like that, surely. Perhaps others who might be more subtle and not immediately claim the attention of the Islands inhabitants. Others who might just seek to ruin. “I think we should consider putting some safeguards in place, though. Regular patrols, for one. Something to help protect against what happened today, to help keep track of who comes and goes.” She pauses, a hint of wariness creeping into her heart, a sense of vulnerability at the bare honesty of her opinion. “We should be a sanctuary out of actions, not words. Castile would have called us such, but he brought violence, not safety. The things we do need to reflect what we claim to be. A sanctuary is not a sanctuary if we cannot keep it safe.”

    Her eyes lift again to Wallace, so dark and soft and edged with a hint of shy, silver light. “I can only speak for myself, but I voted for you because I trust you. It wasn’t just because of the circumstances, it is because you proved yourself to me by your actions.” She pauses, glances around at some of the gathered faces. At those who have pledged themselves to her, those who had stood against the invasion. There were so many strong horses among the Island family. “But if this is a weight you believe is better shared among a committee, I trust you in that, too.”

    — Luster —
    so we let our shadows fall away like dust ;
    Reply
    #5
    He stood beside her, as he always had. And he has never been more proud of her as she stepped up and stood for what she believed in. Stood for their place here and what they wanted this place to be. What it was. His neck arched, brawny body squared and ready. He'd never had a desire to be a fighter, but he was ready to, should things have gone down that way. He would always fight for her. Alas, it had come down to a vote, and just as it should have been, things swayed in their favor. Her favor. The tension left his body as she dutifully removed the threat from the island. Good bloody riddance.

    "It is done." She says as the beautiful brunette mare returns her attention to her people and to those that have remained.

    "Yah, and to hell with 'em." His grin is wide as his voice booms with his Irish accent. He and Badden move to join her at her side- a wee less than silent show of support. The boy smiles up at her, wanting to nuzzle her but settling in beside Reilly, whose gaze never leaves her face. The way the sun brings out some reddish highlights in her hair and sets the brown of her eyes alight with her fire, undiminished by the frost rimming the shape of them. She continues to address the lot that has stayed, asking what they would like to see for the future and if anyone else saw fit to lead. Now, his eyes leave her, only to scan over them himself, to see who really there was and daring someone to pull some shite.

    The first to catch his attention is the mulberry roan stallion he'd seen only once before. The one who'd dropped her off with her newfound gifts and promised to return. So he had. Reilly's blue-green eyes bore into him, but all he did was pledge to stay in exchange for helping to heal those who needed it. The Irishman wants a reason to hate him, though perhaps it's jealousy driving it, but he has no reason to. Yet. He feels his ears pull back a bit, though, at his tone as he asks if Lacey will have him. Down boy. Oh, he really doesn't like the way he looks at her. But he moves on for now. Especially as Lacey introduces them as her family. Kirby is the next to speak, laying it out straight, as always. Reilly nods his head to the iron man's words. "I will be here to help you ascertain this island as what is it supposed to be. I have never been one for politics. As Kirby said, this isn't a Kingdom, but a sanctuary. There's no better champion than he, and I will give what I can as well. This will continue to be a safe place for our families and for any others seeking the same."

    When the blue roan mare steps forward and introduces herself as Luster and names her family, he nods his head to her as well as she speaks her mind. Grateful to hear her thoughts. "Patrolling is a good idea, and one I'm willing to do. With some help." His eyes go to Kirby. Through all his quirks, the one thing the man could be dependable about the most was protecting their family. He provided one hell of a backbone. "I'm sure we can come up with a good routine for rounds, eh?"

    Badden nudges his shoulder in the next moment, ruffling the soft red and dog violet feathers of his wings. "I can help. Me and Kharon can help scout the inner land. Y'know, for the people who can do more than swim here." The colt's face beams as Reilly nods his head and musses his forelock. He thought it was a good idea, especially with Kharon's particular gift. Ah, they grow so fast.

    Reilly goes back to something Lacey had said, a broad grin travelling over his lips. His head raises and he angles a look at them all. "And partying is something I happen to specialize in, in case ye didn't know. No one parties better than teh Irish." A sideways glance at Lacey, and a wink. "I do say that a celebration is in order. Anyone needs help loosening up, just come see me. I've got somethin' fer ya all." Happened to know a good few drinking songs too.


    Alright, so you got:
    Reilly
    Badden
    Dizorien
    Zoryn
    Reply
    #6
    Everything was loud and scary, and abashed just wanted it all to be done and to go away and hide. But this was important, like really, really big important. So she did her best to stay on her feet even though she still felt so, so yucky, and to listen even though all the voices made her head hurt way worse, and even though the loud scary purple man was here she didn’t run away or nothing. Even if his shiny hurt her eyes and his mad-sounding voice made her heart quake and her legs wobble even more than the sick was already doing on its own.

    This was her home. Hers and mommy’s. Even if they were quiet, they were here, ‘cause it was safe, and ‘cause for abashed at least, it was the only home she’d ever known. And it wasn’t just scary purplish men who talked, even if both of the ones who did made her want to hide. Not that they even looked at her, but their presence made the air vibrate, and she just wanted to turn into a teeny tiny mew and find somewhere cozy and dark and hidden to curl up until they all went away.

    But she was being so, so brave. And also there were less scary people. There was pretty Miss Wallace, who was lots less scary than the men. And there was a nice, soft roan lady too, with soft eyes and a soft voice and a soft smile for her babies that made abashed’s heart hurt, made her wonder what it was like to have a mommy look at her like that instead of her Mommy’s sharp voice and sharp temper and sharp edges.

    That was not a very nice or grateful thought, though, and probably that lady’s babies were better than she was, nicer and quieter and not whiny or demanding or needy or snively or needing all their mommy’s time and attention, not disturbing her sleep in the nighttime ‘cause they had one little scarifying dream, not wailing obnoxiously when they got a little boo boo. She bet those babies were much better babies than she was, and that’s why their mommy was so happy. ‘Cause she didn’t have such a burden weighing her down as abashed’s Mommy did, having to take care of her all the time.

    She knew she was an awful lot of trouble. Poor Mommy. She’d have to try harder to be a good girl, and maybe someday if she tried real hard, Mommy would have that soft look in her eyes too.

    And even though they were boys, the next two to talk didn’t seem quite as scary either, all smiling eyes and bright tone and playful-sneaky-sounding. Maybe not everybody was scary, and it made her brave enough to take one tiny step forward on hooves that wanted very badly to shift to paws and find somewhere sneaky-cozy to curl up away from prying eyes. One teeny, tiny step forward, and she spoke in a whisper-soft voice that barely made a sound. “Hi. Um, I’m...I’m abashed. I live here with my mommy too--oh, um. I don’t ‘member her name name, just I call her mommy? An’--”

    Oh no, abashed broke off, a wet, yucky coughing fit taking over and shaking her whole body, making her lungs ache and her throat hurt and choking her a little when she coughed up some ick. She coughed hard enough to bring tears to her eyes, and croaked out a pathetic, miserable little, “Sorry,” when it was done and she could breathe again. “Please don’t be mad, I din’ mean to. I just wanted to say um, thank you for keeping our home safe.”
    Reply
    #7
    Kali was horse-shaped again by the time Mom started the meeting, and she sidled up quietly to stand beside her--oh. Well okay, no. Nevermind, then. Reilly and Baddie beat her to it, and of course everyone wanted to hear what Mom had to say, ‘cause she was the new leader of the island and all. So Kali stayed quiet and watched from not too far away, aching to curl into Kharon’s side and hide under his wing.

    She was still coming down from the confrontation, the aftereffects of shifting into a scary new shape and standing up to somebody big and strong leaving her unsettled. She’d never done anything like that before, and while it had burned through her all hot and fierce and fiery at the time, now it left her feeling...confused. A little shaky and uncertain. And she just wanted to snuggle her Khari in the quiet.

    But there were important things to talk about before she could do that. So she stood in quiet support, not quite trusting her voice right now, nodding agreement and waiting to see what everyone else would decide. As long as they kept the island safe, she didn’t mind what it looked like, whether Mom was in charge or lots of people were in charge or somebody else was. As long as it was somebody or somebodies they trusted, and they did a good job keeping their home a sanctuary, that was all that really mattered.

    So she didn’t speak up or introduce herself, just looked around for her Khari and snuggled up against his side and let other people do the talking and the deciding.
    Reply
    #8
    He breathes a nearly intangible sigh of relief when the dust settles and they find themselves the victors in a thankfully bloodless squabble. He has seen too much violence in his life, lived through too many upheavals in kingdom and land. For the first time a long time, he had had the ability to stand his ground, to speak for what he believed in. And for the first time in a long time, it had been successful.

    When finally the dragon had left, they gather before the leader they had so recently voted in. He does not know her well, but he has seen enough to believe that she wished this land to remain a sanctuary as much as he did. And to see that she has the support of those he knows and trusts only cements that belief.

    For a moment, he had been surprised to see Reilly among the crowd. It had been a very long time since he had seen the red-splashed white stallion, but his heart swells with happiness to see such a familiar face in the home he had made for himself. And to see he seemed to know Wallace well.

    His features soften as he turns his gaze to Luster, so lovely. Soft, like her mother, and so fiercely determined to stand up for her family and her home. He had been so proud of her, watching the way she had spoken against the intruders earlier. Truthfully, today had not been for himself. It had been for his family. For Ilka, and their young children still here with them. For Luster, and his beautiful grandchildren. It had been for all of them. This home was for them. And he only wished to keep it that way. Would fight to keep it that way if he must.

    He remains silent as they discuss where to go from here. He has little interest in the leading of the land. He would offer it his protection, but he had long since realized he had not been made for leadership. He had aspired to it once, but those days are long behind him now. Only when there is a lull in the conversation, a moment of time he might affirm his position, does he speak, adding what little he has to say for consideration. “I have seen enough to put faith in your guidance and leadership,” he begins simply. “I wish only that it remain as intended, a sanctuary, and that my family can live safely. My aid is yours, if you ever need it, in the protection of the island.”
    All things are possible,
    shahrizai
    even the best of things.
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    #9
    Oh goodness, Roma is here. I just have been busy and unable to post. I will be working on that soon. <3
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