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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


    [private]  your waves are pulling me under; aquaria
    #1
    your waves are pulling me under
    i'm caught in your riptide
    Motherhood certainly had taken a lot more of her time these last few years. She had been meaning, for a long time now, to attend to somethings. However, with such quietness and not much interruption to their quite little island-home her focus turned being a mother first. 
     
    Eva had never forgotten about her duties and the needs of her home either. She always attended to things that needed to be done, and thought about the gossip and rumors that came from the mainland when they had visitors. There had been a few new changes, especially to the leadership in Tephra after the late king and his daughter left Ischia.
     
    Then there were some of her friends she had been too far away from for long. Aquaria was one of them, especially recently she had thought about her. Eva couldn’t quite remember the last time the two of them had enjoy a conversation together. 
     
    Eva had taken it upon herself first thing in the morning to find the fin-mare. She first started searching for Aquaria on the beach, at least that is where she had always found the other nereid mare. Although this morning Aquaria was not to be found on the Ischian shores.
     
    Turning towards inland, the first place the purple nereid thought of to find Aquaria was at the northernmost lake. It was one of her favorite places on the island—a magnificent hidden waterfall that added even more beauty to their island home.
     
    Pushing through the last of the jungle foliage, the large waterfall appears in the distance. The distance of rushing water greets her warmly and fills her ears with a sweet song. A smile grows on her purple lips as she overlooks the waterfall for a moment.
     
    Her gaze glances across the open terrain near the body of water where the waterfall flows into and she instantly spots the fine-mare. The purple nereid makes her way to Aquaria with graceful strides. She lets out a soft call to Aquaria and a smile instantly grows wider on her features.
     
    “Aquaria!” She greets warmly. “There you are!” Eva says and laughs softly as she stands near her nereid-friend. “I have been looking all over for you.” Taking a step closer, the purple nereid pushes her warm muzzle gently onto Aquaria’s neck. “How are you?” She asks before settling comfortably next to the other nereid.
    Eva
    the dame of ischia


    @[Aquaria] Excuse my weird starter lol
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    #2
    aquaria
    - THE TIDE IS HIGH, IT'S SINK OR SWIM -

    The pearl of her scales was buffed and polished by the fine sands thrown up by the falls. Mud flecked the whiteness of her heels, the pale shells of her hooves. It was a deep cleansing, the kind that made her feel brand new. Her golden tints had faded with the years, leaching away into the milk white gloss only edged in sunny amber. The brightest glimmer of metallic shine was a tipped down triangle of gold scales that now bloomed across her brow. She had grown into herself. 

    Hal was wandering the isle, the youthful cat learning his own body and the things it was capable of away from his mother's watchful eye. He was her pride and her prince, and his ever widening berth of independence was a bittersweet victory to her. She was beginning to miss the days where he spent every hour by her side, looking back to make sure she was never more than a pace or two behind. Still, it was a good thing, wasn't it? The point of parenting was to ensure that the child would one day be able to leave the nest. She only wished it wasn't such a blindingly fast transition. 

    The water splashed at her feet in sweet music as she lifted her head to greet the voice calling her. Her pink lips rose in an answering smile as the vibrant form of the island's Dame approached. "Eva! It's been a while." She burbled, eyes sparkling with joy. Her elegant neck arched to return the embrace of her foster-niece. 

    The shell adorned mare settled besides her with easy familiarity, and she settled back on her heels. Her head tipped to rest lightly on Eva's crest, her smile a little dimmed as she wondered what to say. "I am well. It's been such a while since we last spoke. I adopted a son several moons ago, I don't think you've met him? He is hard to mistake." She laughed her sea breeze laugh and wrinkled her nose. Hard to mistake indeed. 

    "And how are you and the family? Any news?" She asked, wondering what the other sea woman's own brood had been up to lately. They were a lively clan, always up to some new adventure. It was a good place for childhood ventures, full of hidden wonders for young explorers to find. The sea hung lightly on them both, as easily worn as their own skins, something the children seemed to carry with them also. It was a simple pleasure to share the company of one so alike, in a place so beautiful.

    - MY ONLY RIVAL IS WITHIN -

    @[Eva]
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    #3
    your waves are pulling me under
    i'm caught in your riptide
    Eva couldn’t help but think she needed a deep cleansing sometime after finding Aquaria attending to her own needs. It was a process of self-care she had neglected all these past years. Although Eva had truly never lost her beauty or looked unkept. Naturally she was alluring from head to hoof but taking time for herself seemed more than necessary now that she had more time.

    Her ears flicker forward hearing her aunt’s joyous greeting. Eva without a doubt knew she was entirely blessed to have Aquaria around still, especially someone she knew she could count on and always be honest with her. As Aquaria leans into her, she welcomes the familiarity, and listens carefully as the fin-mare tells her the latest events of her life.

    “A son!?” She says with joyous surprise. A lot certainly had changed since she had spoken to Aquaria. Being a mother had taken a lot of her time, but she hadn’t realized how much she had missed. However, her smile turns wide easily. Eva was happy to hear that Aquaria had adopted someone. It brings a warm memory to mind when she had first met Adria. “I certainly have not met him yet, but I would love to sometime. What is his name?” Indeed, the purple mare would have to learn more about Aquaria’s new son. He was a welcome addition to their family now.

    Aquaria then inquires about her own family. “Oh, they are just a lively bunch as ever.” She says with a soft laugh thinking about all their latest adventures in the last year or so. Aeolus is practically an adult now. I simply cannot believe that.” A sweet song of laughter escapes through her lips before she continues. “He seems to be much happier after Aodhan and him had a father and son bounding, so that has made me feel a little better about his happiness.” Eva had always worried how her first born would turn out. So far it seemed Aeolus would be just fine and happy, which is what she wanted for all her kids. “Loire is still her same self. Thankfully, she is old enough now to look after Donny and Millicent, so I have a lot more time to myself.”

    It was a blessing now that she thinks about having Loire around. Motherhood was certainly a blessing, but it definitely took a lot more energy than she realized. Even with having four of her own was a lot.

    “How are you finding motherhood?” Eva asks with a sweet smile, and curious to know.
    Eva
    the dame of ischia

    @[Aquaria]
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    #4
    The calm that falls between the pair was a welcome interlude. A twin set of currents that wove through the island, meeting and parting with effortless grace. For all that they had seemingly both been living on the island these past days, it was remarkable that they had not found more time to interact. Aquaria blamed herself somewhat for that. She had gotten so involved in Halcyon's safety, that she had kept them close to the cove they occupied. There had been few forays of any meaningful length recently. 

    The sharing of the news with the violet Eva made her smile, the introduction of family to kin. Still, there was more too it than that. The pearl mermare nodded with cautious joy. "His name is Halcyon. He is..." How to say it? She wrinkled her nose ruefully. "Well. He's a good boy. But please don't be alarmed if you hear reports of a great cat roaming the islands these days. He's a shifter, and pretty attached to his tiger form. I'll bring him by to meet you soon." It was only right that the but meet the guardian of their home, and Aquaria silently berated herself for not having thought of it sooner. She really had been distracted. 

    In turn, she smiled and listened attentively to Eva's tales of her own family's doings. Though they were very nearly the same age, the bearing and raising of foals seemed to have found Eva much more naturally than it had her paler counterpart. The way the Dame's family seemed to have knit itself together so effortlessly was a wonder to Aquaria. "Sounds like they're keeping you busy." She commented with a measure of admiration. Eva certainly seemed to have been given a talent for multi tasking. 

    She sighed lightly at the shell-adorned woman's question. "Oh, well. It has it's challenges. Never thought I'd be teaching a tiger to fish, but here we are. He's turned my world upside down in the best ways." And that was the long and short of it. Motherhood had taken her by surprise, and she had given it everything she had. Now it was only a matter of time to see if her all had been enough. 

    With a resettling of her hips, the finned seamare lifted her head from the sedate pose she'd been keeping. There was another reason to be happy to see her leader, one she'd promised to inquire after not long ago. "I do have a more business-like matter to bring up. Over the winter I visited the mainland, and came across a mare from Loess. We spoke awhile." Here she paused, ears flicking uncomfortably. "She said she had visited here last year, and had an unpleasant encounter with a resident. One of the kelpies." 

    It was perhaps a sensitive topic. Adria, dear to both of them, had a kelpie son, one of the sharp toothed denizens of the northern daughter isles. Still, he was not the one who came to mind when the pale mare thought of the conversation she had held with the shimmering Oceane. 

    @[Eva]
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    #5
    your waves are pulling me under
    i'm caught in your riptide
    A soft smile curls on the purple sea woman’s features. It was great new to hear that her foster-aunt was starting a family of her own. She could already see how much adopting Halcyon as her son had changed her. Listening further to Aquaria about her new family made her even more curious, especially when she mentioned her adopted son was a shifter. A tiger! Eva had never seen a tiger before. She needed to meet this new son of Aquaria’s.

    “A tiger you say?!” She says in disbelief. A big cat roaming the island did seem alarming, but knowing they were not frequent did not worry Eva the slightest. At least if she did ever cross a tiger on the island then she would know who it likely would be. “Halcyon sounds amazing already,” Eva beams with excitement. Already she wants to meet him now, but she knows she will have to wait.

    She nods her head in agreement when the fin-mare mentions her little ones keeping her busy. Certainly, her children had kept her quite occupied with everything. The sea woman was even more thankful for having two fathers that wanted to be around their children, especially Velkan who wanted to be there with them every day. The antlered stallion had been a huge help with the twins. “They do, of course,” she says in agreement.

    Eva listens thoughtfully as the pearl mare speaks about her new experiences of motherhood. Her smile spreads further when Aquaria mentions teaching Halycon how to fish. It then made her heart feel warm when Aquaria said it changed her life in the best of ways. Eva couldn’t have agreed more. She had never thought herself to become a mother so young, but she would not change anything about it. “It opens a whole new world of wonders.” The purple mare simple puts. There was no other way to describe motherhood. It was full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and surprises around every corner.

    With a flick of her ear at other sea woman’s words, Eva listens curiously to what the matter might be. It was always rare that such concerns ever came to their island. She couldn’t help wondering what it could possibly be. As the story unfolds, Eva is surprised to hear about this. It wasn’t very common the visitors to their island had such a bad experience.

    “Really?” She tries to think about what kelpie that she knew could possibly ever do such a thing. “What exactly happened?” Eva decided it was best she knew the details of the entire story. “Did the Loessian mare ever give you a name or description of this kelpie?” Her mind flickered Luath for a moment, but she had instantly disregard him from being named. Luath was a sweet boy from what she remembers. Maybe it was another one on the smaller islands? Eva didn’t want to keep assuming, so she waited to hear more from the pearl mare.
    Eva
    the dame of ischia

    @[Aquaria]
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    #6
    aquaria
    - THE TIDE IS HIGH, IT'S SINK OR SWIM -


    It was exciting to share news of her growing family, the lives she was helping to grow and hopefully prosper. It was difficult to imagine a child doing anything less than living well in such a place. Her smile matched the vividly hued woman's, the pleasure of their day to day lives a soft glow in the heart. She hoped long and hard that she would be enough of a parent for him in long run. 

    A sly grin touched her lips at the way Eva exclaimed over her child's gift, for he was certainly unique among the island folk. Even though he had no special affinity for the waters surrounding their home, he seemed to fit quite well among the jungle heart. "He is my treasure." She beamed in reply, forever thankful to whatever powers had brought him into her life. 

    When the conversation turned a darker shade, the seamare did her best to speak as an objective party. This was, after all, little more than heresay. She had brought it up as a concerned citizen, and hoped that the claim was not so bad as it had seemed, coming from an unknown stranger. But she had liked Oceane, had gotten no kind of impression that she would make up this kind of accusation. She was more inclined to believe this new friend than the innocence of kelpies at large. 

    The smile that had lived so warmly on her face melted away into something less comfortable as she thought back on her conversation with the winged woman. "She did not give me a specific name, no." She admitted after a moment. Her ears twisted unhappily. "She did say that the encounter happened at the northern daughter isle. She'd been exploring without a local guide, didn't know that the isles are more stallion centered." 

    It was little enough to go on, when she said it like that. No concrete evidence, no name to inquire after. Much as she wanted to barge into the northern isle and start raising a scene, that approach rang of badly in her ears. Random accusation was a surefire way to tick off every kelpie that called Ischia home. Which, as far as she knew, was all of them. A gusty sigh rippled the surface of the water beneath her muzzle. "I offered for her to visit us again in the summer, and she accepted. I suppose we can ask for more details then." It was as good as she would get at the moment, it seemed like.

    - MY ONLY RIVAL IS WITHIN -


    @[Eva]
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    #7
    your waves are pulling me under
    i'm caught in your riptide
    A serious expression faded over the sea mare’s purple profile. She listened meticulously to every detail that the pearl mare said as the story of the Loessian mare’s attack was told. Every detail of the terrible encounter was noted with importance and care. She had to consider all details of the story in order to proceed further if any sort of decision was to be made in the future.

    When Aquaria finished telling the story she heard from the Loessian woman, Eva nods her head. Her purple ears flicker forward and then back, concerned for the mare that had just visited. It was easy to assume there might have been other visitors that had a similar encounter, but with no other stories being told, she can at least hope this is the first they are hearing of this.

    “Terrible. So terrible!” She says shaking her head.

    The detail of the encounter happening on the northern daughter isle did not settle well with the purple mare though. She knew the beachmaster of the island—a kelpie who seemed to have lived there well before she had called Ischia her home. However, she never personally knew the kelpie well enough despite how pleasant he seemed from a distance.

    There is a kelpie that lives there. He is a beachmaster of the northern island.” Eva thinks for a moment, trying to recall his name. “I believe his name is Ivar,” she adds when it comes to her suddenly.

    Aquaria then spoke again, mentioning the Loessian mare had accepted coming back during the summer season. Eva nods her head, although an unsettling feeling grows within her more. She certainly didn’t like this at all.

    Oh, good!” She says with relief. “It will be good to meet this Loessian mare. I would like to get to the bottom of this. I don’t want anyone else to encounter such a nasty thing again.”

    It could have ended worse. Even worse, it could have been many of the many children that lived on their tropical island. The purple nereid couldn’t imagine the outrage that could happen.

    “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’m not sure where I’d be without you when it comes to such things.” A soft smile grows on her lips. The pearl mare naturally had made things easier for Eva since she became the Dame. After all this time, she finally realizes, it was the perfect time to speak to Aquaria about what she had been thinking about lately.

    Her smile grows a little wider as she focuses back onto the fin-mare. “I have been meaning to speak to you about an important matter, Aquaria. You have always been so helpful when it comes to dealings within our home. I’ve always felt you been honest and straightforward as well.” She pauses for a moment, excitement glistening in her golden gaze now. “I would like to offer you the Advisor position, the second in command for our home. If anything were to happen to me, I want to make sure our home is in good hands, and I couldn’t think of anyone better than you, Aquaria.”

    She pauses, waiting patiently to see if her foster-aunt will accept.
    Eva
    the dame of ischia

    @[Aquaria]
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    #8
    aquaria
    - THE TIDE IS HIGH, IT'S SINK OR SWIM -

    They would not be acting today. As impatient as the pearl mare was for justice, she knew that it meant waiting for all the facts before they could fairly intervene. When Oceane came calling, they'd go over things again and hopefully reach the bottom of the issue. Until then, they would both be keeping eyes and ears out for any other signs of disturbance. 

    Her shell-pink ears tilted curiously at the name. Ivar. She'd heard of him, of course. You couldn't live so close to the infamous kelpie and not know the stories. The scenario certainly felt in line with the lurking stallion's reputation. There was a grim set to her mouth as she nodded along with Eva's assessment. "Of course. We can't very well go around claiming to be an island of respite if one of our own is causing problems." Her fin-crested head shook with a chargrinned flutter. No, that wouldn't work at all. She felt lighter though, now that the knowledge had been shared. The concerned crease between her brows softened. 

    It felt good to have Eva acknowledge her place in their home. She'd never wanted to live anywhere else, ever if she didn't mind visiting other lands. Ischia was home, and she felt like she was doing her best to serve that home. Her serious expression lightened into a pleased smile as the conversation turned more personal. 

    "It would be a pleasure, Eva!" She beamed, pawing at the water underfoot with giddy joy. "It's an honor to serve you and our home." Truthfully, it felt like more of a formality than an outright promotion. A title to go along with the way things already were. However, now there was the additional responsibility that she was now placed in the chain of command, not simply a friend to the Dame. Later, when she was alone, it would sink in.

    - MY ONLY RIVAL IS WITHIN -

    @[Eva]
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    #9
    your waves are pulling me under
    i'm caught in your riptide
    The pearl mare beamed and pawed with joy. Eva couldn’t contain her excitement either after hearing her friend’s approval. Her smile grew wider and she let out a cheerful nicker. The purple sea mare couldn’t be more pleased to have someone like Aquaria be officially recognized when it came to the way of politics. It was just how their world worked now, but lately she had some other thoughts on the matter.
     
    “Oh, Aquaria!” She beams with joy. “I’m so happy that you have accepted.”
     
    Eva knew even without the formal title that Aquaria would ensure the safety of their tropical home. However, she needed to make it set in stone if things were going to move forward. The outside world was changing, Eva didn’t want their home to get lost in the chaos that eventually came with it all.
     
    I spoke to a mare named Ilma not long ago. She was on a very interesting mission about making friends, but what sparked me the most about our conversation was ensuring there will always be a sanctuary that everyone can come to. It reminded me of Ruinam’s vision for the islands to band together, but I don’t know how possible that might be anymore.” She considers how much it would require for other kingdoms to accept exchanging territories for another. Even the memory of Vulgaris rejecting the idea pops up in her thoughts too. Maybe not everyone would be so pleased about the idea, but Vulgaris was no longer the king and there was their new queen to consider now. “I have thought about approaching Isilya and Ruinam to see what their thoughts are on creating a more formal sanctuary of our homes together that anyone can come to for protection.”
     
    She pauses for a moment, glancing away to look at the waterfall that flows not far from them. “I don’t know what Isilya’s intentions are for Tephra or what our alliances are anymore now that she has been queen for a while. But I would like to at least try and start having an intentional relationship with our two lands.” The Dame then becomes quite as she considers what Aquaria’s thoughts might be. Ischia was already a place that anyone was welcomed to come to, but she couldn’t help but think of Ruinam’s plans these last few months after Ilma had visited. She didn’t want their home to be lost in the chaos, especially if the other lands decided to come after their own home in the future.
    Eva
    the dame of ischia


    @[Aquaria] I actually thought of something else to mention, haha Smile
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