"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
Within the darkness of Ischia’s jungle-like foliage, he festers.
He had left shortly after Kharon’s simply delightful display of masculinity, keeping to the river and it’s rushing waters to keep himself busy. And oh, he absolutely had been busy. The attack on Hyaline was child’s play, a mere prank that Levi orchestrated. It had been successful, but the young stallion now wishes for more, hungry to use his skills in the way that he wanted.
Returning to Ischia had been easy. Maugrim’s ability had become so powerful, he could transform himself into the water he worships, and flow with the current wherever he pleased. It was in this form he brought himself back to the quiet island of Ischia, bringing himself up out of the crystal clear ocean waters with only a thought. He could not help but find himself here again, drawn to the ocean’s prowess that so significantly presses in, but the idea of seeing Kharon again also encouraged his return.
He is older now, nearing the age of two. He’s become taller and more slender, the once short mane and forelock growing longer, muscles rippling beneath his two-toned skin. Slick with water from his swim, the dark evergreen of his coat glistens in the sun, the pearlescent patches shining brilliantly as the water almost reflects within it.
Maugrim quickly puts himself within the darkness of the bordering jungles, creeping into the bracken with salt-dried skin. His travel had been easy, but the length of time he spent as water had weighed heavy on his mind. Much like the predator he is, he lies within the shadows of the forest to rest – perhaps the night will awaken him.
m a u g r i m.
@[Kylin]
I figure she can either be wandering and he finds her, or she can find him. Up to you! <3
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
He tells her "ooh love".
It’s not Kharon who approaches him, but his almost identical twin. They were of opposite sex and Kylin did not have all the gifts that Kharon had, but on first glance she did resemble him. On the second one would notice the lack of wings and the more elegant way she carried her body. Shorter, more slender but the a rounding in her curves, more pretty than handsome, feminine. Even now her growing body wasn’t at the most gracious stage of life.
A flash of white had caught her attention. Still away from ‘home’, even if she theoretically still hadn’t left home since she still was on Ischia’s ground, she had forced herself to explore this part of the island. Without Kharon it was so much less fun, but she had to do sómething to keep her mind busy.
Thinking hurt too much.
Her brother had never told her about his ‘meeting’ with the green tobiano colt, and thus Kylin goes in unbiased. She doesn’t know him, she doesn’t know of him and her curiosity is sparked by that green in his coat. The lavender tint even more. Did she have yet another sibling she wasn’t aware of?
She had been moving silently, approaching him with dipped head. He smelled like the sea, had he swam here just like Ivar? He sure would be exhausted then, it was by no means a short distance. ”Hello” she softly whispers, not wanting to wake him up if he was really sleeping, nor scare and jolt him if he had been simply dozing. Kylin reached out too, stepping in his personal space to gently touch his withers, with the intention of drawing back right after.
The salt from his swim has long since dried on his two-toned skin, the tendrils of his pearlescent mane crisp against the darker slopes of his neck and face. The dense foliage of the deep forest provides him shade, the sunlight filtering through the branches and bracken to splay patterns of gold upon him. He is sleeping, resting peacefully within what he believes to be a rather secluded and hidden area (it has been that way since he had met the lovely Kharon), a little piece of solitude that has become a kind of haven to the now young stallion. His swim and the long use of his abilities during that time have left him weary, as well as slightly less cautious as he normally would be.
That is why, when there is the softest, most velvetiness touch upon his withers, he reacts most aggressively.
His pale eyelids pull back in a flash, revealing dark and near pupil-less eyes. His dark evergreen ears are already disappearing into his tangled and dirty mane, pale lips curling back as a snarl finds him. He snakes his head towards her, nearly reaching out to run his teeth solidly against the curvature of her throat, when his eyes notice the soft lavender grey that is there, melting into creamy, wintry white. Maugrim brings his chin to his chest immediately, reeling back his neck to gaze at her with a curious, empty black stare. Ears are still hidden within the coarse hairs of his mane, but the anger has receded from him.
Oh this was all too interesting.
Standing before him was a little Kharon, matching perfectly in color and build. Of course she is female, all too noticeable by the delicate sloping features of her hips and withers, the gentle lines that caress her face. Maugrim snorts amusedly. How is it that trouble always finds him? He did not ask for her to find him, but she has; and Maugrim rarely misses out on an opportunity such as this.
As he was growing older and beginning to interact with others more regularly, the once solitary and feral colt now has begun to use his exchanges for his own entertainment or power. Before, nothing would have stopped him from slicing her supple skin with his teeth, but now, he hesitates – pausing, to quickly think about his situation and how it could be used best for him. “You startled me,” he admits, his voice forgiving but like iron, steely and cold. He still needs to perfect his tone, but he is much better at softening his features and appearing empathetic now. “What has you searching the jungle? Or was it me you were looking for?”
A smile, flowing easily on his pale lips that crack with the saltwater that has dried there.
“I’m Maugrim.” A pause. Brows rise curiously, and then, a little breathlessly: “You’re…a princess, aren’t you?” Of course she was. Her scent was sickly sweet with the smell of Kharon, (kind of odd, actually) but the two were obviously related in someway.
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
Like a flower waiting to bloom.
The touch was light, only the faintest brush of her muzzle across the white of his withers, but enough to wake him. Or, had he only pretended to sleep and kept quiet? And probably it was a good things Kylin had withdrew right away. His vicious reaction startles her, making her gasp for air softly as she stumbles a few more steps backwards.
Though his anger seems to slip away, he looks everything but friendly. And Kylin isn’t so sure anymore if this had been a good idea. He’s still down, chin tucked down to his chest, and that’s something she’s grateful for. Right now, it would simply terrify her to see him standing. But then, even though he was still down, he already did scare her. A little. At least.
His excuse explains his aggressive and feral reaction, but his voice doesn’t really match the spoken words. Kylin nods, still a bit nervous and hesitant, but she would have to admit that it was hér fault for creeping up at him like this. ”I’m sorry..” she mumbles softly, hazel gaze cast down for a short moment. ”I shouldn’t have done that..” Her regret is genuine. And not only because of his softening features.
”I was only exploring.. Stumbled upon you by accident..” She finds talking becomes easier, as his expression gets more pleasant. Kylin even finds herself smiling back a little, though still hesitant and a little nervous. It was quite hard to get that first feral reaction and almost attack out of her mind. His question makes it a little easier though.
She laughs softly, a little forced but mostly genuine, shaking her head a little. ”I guess I am technically” she answers him, nodding ever so slightly. He knew of her family then, and no way Father or uncle Reilly would allow someone dangerous to stay on their island, right? ”My name is Kylin. You know my family?” she asks curiously.
But more importantly, what she actually wanted to ask was: Are you family? The lavender tint on the white areas of his coat, it looked too much like her and Kharon’s.
She is wary of him, a little bit frightened by his display of anger, because of course she is. She would be daft if she wasn’t. Even a child who has never seen a snake before would know to be cautious at the sight of a hungry and angrily coiled serpent in their path.
The look she gives him is all too familiar to the green and lavender stallion, the look that fuels his drive for fear and power. Oh, are you frightened? I’ll give you something to be frightened about. The only thing keeping him from tearing into the supple, pearlescent sheen of her skin is the fact that she is mildly interesting to him. As he’s grown, he’s learned to control the rage that boils within him, only allowing it to simmer within him instead of exploding; it was better that way, to appear mild and meek, then striking. All the techniques of a predator. For now, she won’t realize how lucky she is to have met him after his first stroll on the beach nearly a year ago.
He smiles at her, a genuine pull of his pale lips across his face, and it even reaches the darkness of his eyes in almost a kind way. He’s standing now, unraveling his slender and muscular legs beneath him. He’s a bit older than her (not by much), but his masculinity shows as he stands a few inches taller than her.
Oh, but his name gives him away.
Maugrim. What a devastatingly terrifying word to leave his lips. It means nothing, but the vowels and consonants string together so hauntingly, as if his own name is a warning label to all who meet him. Perhaps it sends a shiver down the spine, or causes the skin to prick uneasily. He’s sure the reaction they express wasn’t his mother’s purpose when they hear his name, but he has seen all too often the tightening of muscles beneath flesh, a small narrowing of the eyes in thought.
She’s apologizing, her soft voice like sea glass clinking beneath the soft lapping of ocean waves. It’s absolutely mesmerizing and delicious, the voice of women. As he begins to mature, he cannot be helped but drawn to their tinkling, gentle voices. He licks his lips casually, tasting the dried salt that still lingers on his skin. He wonders if her skin would taste like the sea, crisp and briny against his tongue.
“Kylin,” he repeats, his voice rumbling and thoughtful, letting her name slip from his mouth delectably. Unlike his own, her name ellicits a different reaction: he rolls his sloping shoulders gently, tossing his head as a delightful shiver creeps upon him.
“I believe I do,” he says to her, his dark eyes shifting to find her wide, uncertain gaze. She is so polite. Her body language is uncomfortable and stiff, yet she remains here beside him while all of her instincts are telling her to leave. He’s enjoying watching her internal struggle, torn between being rude and walking away, or staying and playing nice like her daddy would want her to do. “I’ve met Reilly, though I haven’t seen him since my arrival here. Also, the one that looks like you,” A pause, to thrust his chin towards her as the word ‘you’ leaves him, “he’s got the wings though.”And definitely isn’t as nice as you, he doesn’t add, wondering if the comment would only heighten her uncertainty and cause her to leave him.
The sound of the gently lapping water against the shore causes him to turn a single ear towards the beach, and slowly his eyes follow. It calls to him, distracting him as it always does, crooning to him to come back to her, to bring the girl with him, to fall beneath the waves. He snorts softly. “Your home is lovely,” he admits, his normally rough tones dissipating for a moment and replaced with a soft, dreamlike voice – a genuine, admiring confession.
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
Like a flower waiting to bloom.
Her gaze lingers on the ground before her hooves, suddenly finding the vegetation of the jungle very interesting. It’s a great way to not have to think about the more pressing matters on hand. She should though, but choosing to ignore it was so much easier. She should run, Kylin knows, but it’s like her feet are frozen to the ground.
The sound of her name, coming from his lips, startles her and pulls her from her thoughts. She blinks her hazel eyes at him, slightly confused but nodding her head anyway as to show him he heard him. There is a slight pause after and Kylin tilts her head suddenly very interested in his answer. And the answer to her unasked questions. So much that she catches herself holding her breath.
”You do?” this time it’s her turn to repeat, almost unable to deal with the sudden tension. He answers the question she had audible asked, but not the ones that were hidden in her mind. She keeps silent as he speaks, first Reilly and then unmistakably he mentions Kharon. ”Kharon” she fills in, a frown now forming between her brows. Why wouldn’t he have told her about meeting Maugrim? They never kept secrets for one another, did they? ”My twin.” Feeling to need to explain why they look so alike.
Automatically her gaze follows his, not able to not smile at the recognition of the water. It calls her, softly. It makes her wonder if it called Maugrim too. Slowly she turns her head to look back to him, eyeing him silently. He doesn’t look at her, but his words make her smile. ”It is” she softly agrees wholeheartedly. Ischia was wonderful. ”Isn’t it yours too? You made it sound like it is..” she asks a little confused. He had mentioned meeting Reilly upon his arrival, suggesting he had never left and settled in Ischia. But she had never heard of him. Odd.
”Would you like to go to the beach?” she suddenly asks. It was out of her mouth before she realised, still watching him watching in the direction of the nearby beach. Her purple tail flicks through the air, swaying a little, the mention of her home and the beach calming her nerves a little.
07-07-2017, 08:31 AM (This post was last modified: 07-07-2017, 08:31 AM by Maugrim.)
god make me pay, like the devil i am
The darkness of the tropical foliage enshrouds them with its shade, a feeling that causes Maugrim to feel a bit stifled and trapped, like a rat in a cage. His muscles flex beneath his patterned skin as he shifts his weight from one leg to another, his tail flicking absentmindedly against his flank. Twin. The information is delicious and he wonders how long it will take for the winged stallion to arrive, to try and pry her from Maugrim’s presence and hide her away from him. Inwardly, he laughs. Now that Maugrim had gotten a look at her, a whiff of her sweet scent, Kharon could never be able to hide her well enough to keep him from her.
There is one thing that Maugrim does not know, and it is the one thing that will ultimately keep him from ever being able to truly target Kharon – he is unaware of the other stallion’s ability to read his mind. The realization would explain it so well: why had Kharon shown so much animosity to a bruised and broken colt upon meeting Maugrim? Of course, if Kylin could read his mind, she would have the same notion.
Fortunately, she cannot.
His mind cranks and turns, focusing on his conversation with the lovely lavender and pearlescent girl beside him, while at the same time strategizing. “I would like it to be,” he admits, his voice trailing off and his eyes darting back to the water that sparkles before them. Maugrim didn’t have friends – he didn’t need them; they are nearly always a means to an end. Levi was nothing important, but he had been able to repair the damage to his badly broken shoulder that would have caused him his death. A means to an end. Deathwish is nothing, but Maugrim knew to not be on the bad side of her powerful ability; he will play nice to stay alive. “I don’t exactly feel welcome in the more populated parts of Ischia, unfortunately. I stay here by myself mostly.”
But a causal relationship with her, with Kylin, he knew could cause irreparable rage and damage to her relationship with Kharon and possibly others. For the winged stallion to know his true intentions but not able to convince his sister to stay away? The idea was delectable and worth the trouble of socializing with her.
He does not say anymore to her and leaves it at that, a shrug to his shoulder to maybe cast off the idea as if it did not bother him. She may pry him a little bit more and he would allow it, because that’s how friendships work, right? That’s how he gains her trust, right? Her sympathy and pity?
He smiles easily, his dark eyes finding her and nodding enthusiastically in response to her suggestion at going near the water. He wonders if he can control himself once they get there; the water is his strength and weakness all in one. Closer to the sea he will become less in control of his mannerisms and thoughts, the call of being beneath its surface might be too much. He doesn’t care, though.
If she cannot trust him, cannot find him likeable, he could easily throw her beneath the surface until she does.
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
Like a flower waiting to bloom.
Her head tilts a little confused with the answer he gives her. He would like to live her? But going from his previous answer he has been around for a while. After all, he mentioned he met Kharon before, and Reilly. Kylin doesn’t know how to reply, actually at loss of words, and thus she keeps silent. It’s not that she doesn’t want to answer, because she does want to, but she doesn’t know what.
Maugrim beats her to it. Even admits that he doesn’t feel at home. And it breaks her heart. Ischia wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was true they lived their own lives quietly, free and with those they felt comfortable with. That Maugrim didn’t feel welcome, or accepted, is a very very bad thing. ”I.. I’m sorry..” she apologises on behalf of all of them. ”Would you want to be.. around us more? I could talk to my father, or uncle Reilly?”
Her hazel gaze lies upon him, honestly conflicted with the matter at hand. Ischia was for everybody, right? And then also the thing that Kharon hadn’t told her about meeting Maugrim. They told each other everything, right?
Her pondering is broken when he nods, agreeing to her proposition to go to the beach. Her smile matches his, almost. Genuine and enthusiastic. The promise of the beach and the sea always brightened up her day. ”Let’s go then!” she suggest with a smile, already bouncing on her lavender and white legs. Kylin is oblivious to his inner pondering, and more than ready to go the beach.
Kylin doesn’t wait for his answer this time, unable to keep still any longer. She’s off to the beach, her head dipping lower to dive underneath some of the overhanging leaves. Within no time she finds herself standing on the beach, sand underneath her hooves and the salty breeze toying with her mane and tail. ”Where are you waiting for?” she calls across her shoulder, head swaying a little to the side to glance behind her. However, Kylin doesn’t wait. She bounces off towards the sea, not stopping until the waves that roll upon the sand touch her hooves.
A deep – content – sigh escapes past the barrier of her lips.
His voice is methodical and steely, dismissing her offer (for he truly didn’t want to be around them, the idea seems stifling) as the truth in his statement fills the air between them, accidentally reverting back to the strange and disturbing stallion he is.
Deliberate, calculating, and cold, he turns his gaze to her, unable to hide the unsettling way his voice slips from his pale lips, his true self slipping through the cracks that he has been working so hard to seal. It might frighten her, he knows, the way his confession seems to even dim the light of the brilliant sun that shines down upon them. He is abnormal, he knows. He, apparently, can only put up the charade for so long, and without much skill in being normal, it does not take it very long into their conversation to become the strange creature he truly is, especially with the water lapping at his dark legs.
It calls to him with a sinister voice; he wonders if she can hear it, too. The call from the deep, dark abyss that lies hungrily at the bottom, mouth agape.
Her voice, like the tinkling of seaglass, brings his darkening gaze to her with an emotionless stare. He wonders then, as they enter the water together, her shouts of encouragement causing his pulse to climb, where is Kharon? Surely the winged stallion would be here by now, utterly concerned that Maugrim had found his way back to Ischia and was delving into his precious sister’s life.
She is kind. So kind. Uncertain, yes, but maybe, just maybe, there would be a little bit of understanding from the lavender and pearl mare, where she could look past his social ineptitude and unnerving way he presents himself. Her kindness is her weakness, her fragility; she is too keen on having fun and being nice, that she might even begin to enjoy his company, without him pretending to be anything else but himself. The idea causes his lips to curl into a smile, stepping into the gentle and crystal clear ocean without so much as a thought.
The water bends to him almost immediately, melts against his flesh with cool and watery kisses, embracing him wholly. Suddenly more confident, less apprehensive, now that the water surrounds him, pressing up against the patterns of his stomach, he turns to Kylin. The water at her hooves begins to pull gently, as if the tide was beginning to drain from the shore, and he wonders if she will realize that something is amiss, or unnatural, about its movement. He does nothing drastic, merely coaxing her and maybe even sparking a bit of curiosity, to draw her out where he lingers.
“The ocean is alive, you know.”
His voice continues to be icy and dimming, but he had a feeling that she would not turn away from him – not yet.
html code by Toli, design idea based on "Dovev" by Laura
Like a flower waiting to bloom.
Well that surely caught her attention. Her head tilts a little, hazel eyes curiously taking the dark foresty green and white young man in. He felt at home around water too? Did it call Maugrim, like it called so many from her family? That thought only puts a wide smile upon her lips. Perhaps he was family after all. ”You like the water? I really do like it.” The little confession made Kylin so enthusiastic that she didn’t even notice his cold look.
From her position, just there where the water meets the sand, she can see perfectly fine how the water reacts to his presence. No, not simply reacting, but embracing him. Kylin curiously looks at him, at the water and how they mingled so perfectly together. So beautifully.
It is when their gazes meet that she feels the pull of the water. She blinks a few times, tearing her eyes away from Maugrim, to look at the water. It pulls back, but calls her. Very alluring. Her thoughts wander towards the water, how nice it would be to play on the water. The weather was great, and she did have someone new to play with. Maybe he could show her some new tricks. Maybe he could help her impress Kharon.
His voice pulls her back. She blinks a few times, her head tilting as she turns to look at him. She needs a moment to realise what it was what he had said, but when she does, Kylin smiles at him. ”I know.” She doesn’t hesitate, stepping forward and not into the water, but on top of it. A few moments later she’s standing a couple of meters off shore, water underneath her hooves. ”I’m quite.. accustomed to water” she says, turning to Maugrim with a wide grin.
Her grins grows wider after a short moment, lips curling up. Then she’s off. Not really further onto the ocean, but more like running past the shoreline. It’s at her left side, and her legs keep carrying her forward. The wind tugs at her mane, pushing her forward and for a moment, she really feels free. Let all troubles behind her and just run, run and enjoy her sea.
