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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


    where does the good go? {any}
    #1

    This was not a place she ever planned to be. In fact, if she had her way, she never would have stepped foot in a land like this one. But she wasn't getting her way much lately, was she? Only three and a half years old, and she had already been shunned by her family and then left by the only other equine she could ever fathom considering her family. Venus was a horse, not a place, but she was all Romi had ever considered home. Until she realized that her throne and her normalcy was worth more than her love for a little white mare.

    Okay, so this is what we know for sure: falling in love with your king's only daughter is definitely a bad move. Especially when you're said king's guard's only daughter. Let's not do that one again. Gets kind of complicated.

    Anyways...long story short, that's how she ended up here. She looked back on it with so much remorse and hurt that she actually found it funny...the whole situation was about a thousand kinds of fucked up. Of course, her slight amusement at her situation wasn't enough to keep her from crying herself to sleep every night. But she at least spent the days feeling strong. She knew she wasn't a hero, but she was lightyears above all the equines she had left behind. At least she hoped.

    The land smelled of other equines, and while Romi had never been in a claiming land before, she wasn't so naive that she didn't know what one was. This is where the homeless congregated. The hopeful, waiting for a beautiful man to whisk them off, take them home, and make them their queen. It seemed as though that was everyone's expectation. But this petite mare had given up on expectations the day they were all exceeded. Because a year later they became the biggest disappointment of her life.

    The night had been long enough. As she made way towards the field, the rising sun made her squint as she tried to catch sight of anyone nearby. She couldn't spot any other horses but could sense their presence. A nicker here, the sound of flattening brush there...some, she were sure, grazed peacefully in the strengthening light while others ambled as aimlessly as she. Romi wasn't one to stand around and wait, though. The events of the past few weeks had made her rightfully indignant and far more demanding than she was before. She continued on with purpose, crossing through a bit of forest into the open field. She thought she saw someone ahead--though the sun behind them made the creature only a silhouette. Still, she fearlessly continued on.

    "Hey. You there," she called into the dawn, with too little foresight to know what she would say to their inevitable what do you want?

    Romantic Pretense

    Where does the good go?

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    #2

    Faith is the bird that feels the light

    when the dawn is still dark.

    It had been a long time since Malka had fathomed coming to the Field, but at her friend (and Queen)'s urging, she had decided to give it a shot. It was very early morning, well before most of the other horses were up and about when Malka decides to fly forth from her kingdom. It does not take the little bird long to reach the Field where she finds a position among the trees surrounding the currently empty meadow. Once she feels she is safe from stranger's eyes, she quickly shifts back into her equine form - a bay and white paint mare - before venturing out of the woods. Many horses who did not understand the shifter were scared of her abilities, and so, she was prone to hiding them from those who did not know her well.

    She had barely made it into the Field though when a voice behind her calls out to her. She turns slowly, at first worried that the voice had seen her shifting and was about to begin the inevitable number of questions that tended to come along after seeing such a show, but still she completes her turn and faces the horse behind her. "Hello, there," she greets the other horse, quickly seeing the horse behind her was a mare. A small smile slips to her features as the mare's finer lineage and dappled gray coloring reminded her of her own mother - a mare Malka had not seen in many, many seasons and had long ago presumed dead.

    "My name is Malka,", she says with a quick bob of her painted head. "And who might you be?" she questions after a short pause. Her nostrils flare slowly, taking in the dense fog filled air around her. She took a few steps forward so that they would be in closer communicating range and as she did, the smell of foreign lands reached her nostrils. There were few places in Beqanna that Malka had never visited (the Gates being one of them), but she still recognized their scents when they presented themselves. This mare though did not smell of anywhere that Malka was familiar with and so, she was left wandering what sort of stranger she had before her.

    Malka

    immortal, quetzal-shifting Lekh, Kosi & Erinak of the 'Zons

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    #3

    Daybreak always afforded her a better lease on life. There is nothing quite as relieving as watching the sun come up after a sleepless night. Perhaps that's what made her confident enough to approach another equine after weeks of tearing through the wilderness, broken down like an abandoned child. Perhaps the bright sparkling orange of the sun on the tall grass is what kept her from turning and running away from the approaching two-toned mare. 

    The newcomer didn't seem phased by Romi's abrupt greeting--one she regretted the moment it exited her mouth. Had she no tact? Regardless, she stopped in her tracks as the femme moved towards her, allowing her a respectful amount of space in which they could speak. 

    "Malka," she repeated, trying to find herself after a stint of loneliness, during which she had apparently managed to lose all social niceties. "Pleasure to meet you." Remembering herself, she gave a quick nod of her dainty grey head, only to flick her dark forelock, thin but long, out from its position blown back around her ears. She did a quick recon on the mare, noting her painted pattern, which would have not been unusual if it were not accompanied by a number of other odd markings and a certain mystical air. 

    Realizing she had been staring, she stammered out an introduction. "My name is Romantic Pretense, though I vastly prefer Romi." Don't even get her started on her given name--her family had always been the kind to live outside their means, right down to naming their children ridiculous, pretentious names. Her parents would call her nothing short of Romantic Pretense--Venus was the one who had given her the nickname. It pained Romi to even say the name, but she didn't think she could ever give it up, even if it meant hearing the other mare's shrill laugh every time it was used. "Romantic Pretense?" she had chimed nearly two years ago. "I'm the damn princess and even my father wasn't so silver-tongued upon naming me." Their names for each other, Romi and V, told of their child-like love. Romantic Pretense and Venus were never meant to be.

    The thought made her want to throw herself to the ground--her typical reaction to memories of what was now her past life. She brought her mind back to the kind mare before her. 

    "I was only hoping you could tell me where I am."

     

    Romantic Pretense

    Where does the good go?

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    #4

    Faith is the bird that feels the light

    when the dawn is still dark.

    She couldn't even remember the last time she had met someone outside the comforts of the Jungle, but here she was standing in front of a stranger hoping everything would go okay. Her ears flicker lightly as the mare speaks to her and Malka gives a soft smile. "As well," she replies simply, never quite having been one for pleasantries and all that fancy talk. As they gray mare introduced herself Malka let her smile spread a bit. She knew quite a few ridiculous named horses wandering around Beqanna (not that she'd ever say it to their face). "Romantic Pretense isn't that bad," she starts, "Touch of a mouthful though," she says with a soft chuckle. Romi is quite nice though," she finishes, ears flickering softly as the sound of morning birds reaches her ears. It would seem that they had finally woken up as well and their cheerful greetings began to ring out from among the trees.

    Even as the gray mare looks her over, Malka takes a moment to return the gesture. Much could be learned simply from watching another horse. Her observations are interrupted though when Romi speaks again. Malka can't help but laugh. She had always known that Beqanna, to an outsider, could seem quite the strange place. Malka wasn't sure how long she had been around, but if she stuck around long enough she would get to know all of it's true oddities - Pegasus, Unicorns, Magic, varying degress of shapeshifters, meddling fairies and all. "This," she says with a swing of her head to encompass the land around her "is Sparta Beqanna. We have a mix of small herds and larger kingdoms here that are more or less divided by personalities - Light, Neutral and Dark, with each personality being divided into Mythic and Non-Mythic kingdoms. The titles are more for show nowadays as kingdoms have grown more accepting of those not exactly like them. There are also a pair of outlier kingdoms, one as a Bachelor kingdom and the other a Bachelorette kingdom. Each kingdom is run by a monarch or Monarchs and then usually has an army and a diplomat caste that can be joined and one can gain ranks in," she pauses here to let her words sink in as she knows it's quite a lot to take in all at once.

    "The herds are run in a normal fashion, usually with a lead stallion, a lead mare should he chose one and then the subordinate mares and their foals," for most outsiders, this set is what she knew most would be accustomed to, though it was the less seen option in Beqanna in today's time and one Malka would never settle for herself.

    She takes another pause, allowing a moment for her to shift her weight around and get a little more comfortable. Her ears flick softly on top of her head as she stays alert for any others that may approach the gathered duo. "I myself come from the Amazons, the Bachelorette kingdom of strong-minded mares that fit well with the kingdom name they serve," she says. It was quite obvious that Malka was proud to be an Amazon, from the way she spoke of the kingdom to the very sparkle the glinted in her eye at the mention of her home.

    "What about yourself? Where are you from?" she questions. Malka wouldn't really care if the mare chose not to answer her, it was more for her own curiosity. The painted mare had spent many years as a wanderer outside of Beqanna and wondered if Romi's old home was ever a place she had seen on her many journeys.

    Malka

    immortal, quetzal-shifting Lekh, Kosi & Erinak of the 'Zons




    (OOC: Due to some crazy BQ magic, a magic entity has taken away the Amazon's tattoos. I just haven't updated her profile to show that she doesn't have them anymore xD)
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    #5
     


    It sounded familiar enough. She wasn't quite sure what Malka meant by mythic and non-mythic as she had never encountered such a thing herself, but she tried to keep an open mind. Her home was similar to Beqanna's standard herd, it seemed. One king ruled a series of smaller herds, each leader with a mate and a strict line of succession. Her own father was the head of the King's Guard, bestowing on her family a great deal of honor despite their lack of royal blood. Her home herd was a bit primitive and violent--even her father acquired her mother, his mate, while ransacking a lower herd. Lucky for them, they fell madly in love. Maybe that's where Romi got her ever-bleeding heart. 


    Now the bachelorette kingdom, that was more Romi's style. She had been questioning of the monarchy that her family served for a long time--well before her mate chose rank over her. That day, however, was the proverbial straw that broke the grey mare's back and she had already decided she wouldn't play that game. It was one thing to be faithful to your duty and honor--it was another to abandon those you love to get it. 

    When asked where she was from, Romi glanced back the way it came. Her homeland didn't really have a name--at least not one that she knew. It was a land of green grass and warm water, and clouds that ate the mountains. The soil was rich there and the horses were far and away the rulers of the kingdom. They weren't mythics like there seemed to be here, though. Their power came from their strength and blood. 

    Her longing gaze turned back to the other mare. "South of here," she said, trying to place it. "A few days' time...though I didn't pay much attention when I left so I'm not sure I could make my way back if I wanted to."

    "A kingdom of mares..." she said with a slight chuckle. "That sounds wonderful. I can only assume it functions better than any other kingdom." Can you imagine the simplicity? Though she loved the men in her herd and family she could assume that diplomatic relations and organization as a whole would be much easier without their constant fighting and prideful comparisons.


     

    Romantic Pretense

    Where does the good go?




    ooc; sorry, this was a quick one. I'm going out of town tonight/Saturday so I wanted you to have something to reply to!
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    #6

    Faith is the bird that feels the light

    when the dawn is still dark.

    Malka had an entire lifetime of failed relationships behind her. Her father had abandoned her at barely a year old, her only manservant (who she only took on because he was her sister's manservant and he was a kind soul) had been killed in a war with the Valley, both of her children had nothing to do with her and the last time she'd seen her father, he'd been murdered before her eyes. One simply could not blame Malka for living among a group of women with little or nothing to do with other males. They only seemed to let her down, time and time again.

    Her two tones tail swats heavily at her rump and she stomps a hoof as the first early flies try to land on her. There were very few things that Malka hated more in life than flies and she avoided them most of the time in her Quetzal form- they didn't seem to bother the elegant bird as much as they did the horses. Malka watches as the gray mare turns her gaze behind her and Malka's eyes follow the other mare's stare as she speaks of her homeland. Malka silently wondered if it was someplace that she had ever journeyed through on one of her many outings outside of Beqanna lands. Romi's words though bring her back to reality and she speaks again of the Amazons. Malka can't help but laugh .

    "We have a small handful of stallions, most of which are promised to the mares that live there or children of the sisters," she says, for she would hate for the mare to arrive only to be greeted by Hestoni, Queen Scorch's partner or one of the sons of the Jungle. "It functions as well as one can expect from a group of hormonal mares all living together," (let's not forget, hormonal mares with magic powers, non-the-less!) she says with a light snort. One was never going to find perfect harmony anywhere. There was always going to be disagreements, clashes of personalities and all that fun, but the Jungle ladies had somehow managed a way to keep one another together and to support each other through thick and thin. If there was one downside Malka could ever give to the jungle mares is that they were loyal to a fault - with even a war having been fought over ill-treatment of the sisters.

    Malka

    immortal, quetzal-shifting Lekh, Kosi & Erinak of the 'Zons

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    #7

    (sorry this took so long, I wrote a whole reply and it somehow got deleted. This one might be a bit short.)

    Fair enough. The camaraderie between women was limitless but like anything else, they came with their challenges. Romi was the last person who could deny that. The idea intrigued her, though. As far as she had learned in her short life, mares weren't rulers. She didn't know why but they simply weren't. To capture a kingdom and rule it alone required a great deal of moxie and independence, something Romi wasn't entirely sure she had. After all, the most rebellious she had ever been at home (besides falling in love with the king's daughter) was wandering a few yards too far from her mother as a filly. What would her parents think now that she was considering asking to be allowed into a bonafide girl gang?

    Of course, there were stallions. It makes enough sense that there would be. While Romi would be happy living an entirely female existence, twas not the position of most mares in the world. She was, as far as anyone had ever told her, a mutant, a witch, a deviant. It didn't bother her all that much but it certainly seemed to irk those around her. For those reasons, she didn't intend to be shouting it from the rooftops in this new land any time soon. It would come out in due time. Or maybe it wouldn't. 

    She wondered what the Amazonian mares were like. All kind and welcoming like Malka had proved herself to be? The name lent itself to a pack of warriors, and their status as a ruling class in the jungle must be difficult to maintain. No doubt they were strong willed and clever. 

    "I don't suppose you're looking for new residents," she began thinking out loud. "As I'm sure you can tell, I don't exactly have anywhere to sleep tonight." Night was hours away, but she was still starkly aware of her predicament. While they had been talking the sun had risen further and dawn had broken, a warm light now reaching the tops of the trees and flooding the field. Sure, she had time to explore her options and find somewhere to go. But she was starting to feel like this was where she wanted to be--if they'd have her, of course. 

    Romantic Pretense

    Where does the good go?

    Reply
    #8

    Faith is the bird that feels the light

    when the dawn is still dark.

    Malka had always admired the Jungle. As much as she was a wanderer, something deep inside her always brought her back to the rainforest and her multitude of animals. Even as she stands before company and the sun continues to rise above them, Malka is already longing to return to the shade and structure of her beloved home. Her ears flick lightly on top her head, quite surprised that the pair hadn't attracted attention from another recruiter. Maybe it was simply to early for the other kingdoms to be up and around. You know, the whole early bird gets the worm - and Malka could definitely be the early bird if she chose to be.

    Her attention is drug away from her own thoughts though as Romi's words reach her ears. "The sisterhood always welcomes any mare who wishes to reside among us," she says warmly, tail swishing loosely at her legs. Malka giggles lightly "Not sure how much sleeping you'll do tonight, for the Jungle is never quiet," she replies. Even though Malka had been born in the Jungle, it had taken her quite a time before she was no longer startled by every cat call, monkey screech or night creature that walked among them. She had spent many nights jerking herself awake only to inevitably be caught napping later the next day. "You'll get use to it though," she adds, hoping that the gray mare wouldn't be scared away by the promise of a fitful night.

    She turns slowly to face the woods that she had come out of. In her equine form, it would take her significantly longer to get back to the Jungle and she was antsy to start. "You can follow me if you wish," she says over her shoulder as she starts forward. It would surely be nearing night fall by the time the pair of mares reached the Jungle border.

    Malka

    immortal, quetzal-shifting Lekh, Kosi & Erinak of the 'Zons




    (OOC: I'll post in the Jungle for her as well. Sorry for the wait. I have crazy hours at work (12hr shifts anywhere from 3-5dys a week!) and two young kiddos, so I've been super busy.)
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