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    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


    [mature]  Despite the Overwhelming Odds, Tomorrow Came [Yanhua]
    #1

    despite the overwhelming odds, tomorrow came


    “It’s so hot,” I complain to the world at large. Indeed, the late summer sun beat down through the trees, stifling the air around me. The flies were murderous, swarming around my eyes and ears, where the fur is thin and sparse, and the skin easy to access. I don’t want to move, but they force me to shake my head every so often as they gnaw into my flesh. I snort, not a casual sound, but the sound of distress and annoyance. I was already sad by the missing presence of Yanhua, I didn’t want the annoyance of the flies and the heat on top of that.

    Indeed, I had been sad since the stallion had left. It felt like forever, but it couldn’t have been that long, could it? Well, no matter how long it was, it felt like an eternity, and I felt alone, more lonely than I had felt in a long time, because I knew that he existed, and I also knew that he wasn’t here. A sigh escapes my lips as I shake the flies away once more, and I give a longing look into the distance. When would he return?


    With another sigh, I decide I’ve had enough of the flies. And the heat. So I turn down the familiar path that I had traveled many times already this summer, back to the special place in which he had shown me. As I pass the ferns, they brush gently against my legs, a cool relief in the heat. Then I reach the small river. I glance at the tree where Yanhua’s scrapes still cut into the tree bark from where he’s sharpened his horns over and over.


    I move into the middle of the creek, and this is where I stop. The water feels amazing against my skin, though it is lower than it has been since I’d been here, it still comes up to my knees. Taking in a deep breath, I plunge my head into the waters. Oh, it feels so good. When I pull my head from the water, the soft breeze that moves through the trees feels even better. With a smile on my face, now, I start to paw at the water, splashing it up onto my belly. The movement invigorates me, and I begin to prance, at first in one place, then around in circles, playing–no dancing–in the water.

    borderline

    Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Unsplash

     
    @[Yanhua]
     
     
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    #2

    I got extra feelings

    Home.
    Borderline.
    Their first night together in the tree-den, where they’d curled into each other’s embrace and fallen asleep inside the glow of Yanhua’s light.

    These are the thoughts that spur the Taigan back north again; back to the redwoods and their secret ghosts, back to the fog that kisses his skin like a sweet but heady lover, back to the touches and soft smiles of Borderline. He belongs among the trees and quietness, always has, but today there’s nothing silent about the way he picks up his heels and sets off in a steady canter, once he’s gotten well past the Taigan border. Yanhua was restless to be back with his newfound companion, and his split hooves found their way among the seemingly identical trees soon enough.

    He was headed for his their den, following a nigh invisible trail through the redwoods and past the meadow where they’d first met, his softly glowing mane and short-cropped tail flared out behind him in the wind. The rolling thunder of his steady gait never broke or faltered along the way. These trees were longtime friends to Yanhua, each with a name or memory associated to it, and his legs knew their way around so well that by now, he could make a circuit of Taiga in confident blindness if he had to. When he set his eyes on the giant sea of tall-growing ferns, Yanhua dug into each stride thereafter as if a demon itself was hounding him. He was a blur of motion, speeding along past the ferns, every beat of his heart pounding to the tempo of her name: Borderline, Borderline, Borderline.

    “Borderline!” Yanhua whinnied, cantering up a small hill past some shorter evergreens. Off to the side, his trademark cedars stood in quiet observation of the two lovers reunited again. Yanhua passed them by confidently, hearing his mate splashing in the nearby river to keep herself cool on an unusually warm day for Taiga, and followed the bare deerpath down again to join her in the cool aquatic game.

    “There you are, darling girl!” He laughed and trotted upstream, making quite a bit of disturbance himself in the process. “Having plenty of fun without me, I see.” Yan quieted his overeager voice the closer he came, and the tone softened with true passion. Even soaking wet she was still lovely as ever, a bit more gray from the afternoon bath but he adored the way her mane hung in tight, blue ropes down the sloping arc of her feminine neck. Likewise, her tail had corded up from the dousing; she was certainly a welcome sight to come home to.

    “I missed you.” He admitted without reservation, slowing to a stop that left him close enough for a quick peck at her cheek. Borderline would find him unchanged since he’d left: the fairies had healed every competitor post-battle, and for that Yanhua was extremely thankful. A scar could be dashing, but the mark Leilan had put on his face wasn’t the kind that drew lady mares in. Quite the opposite, which was why he’d been glad to be rid of the painful thing. “What would my little dove like to do today, hmm?”
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    @[Borderline]
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    #3

    despite the overwhelming odds, tomorrow came

    I heard his shout before I saw him or heard the sound of him coming nearer. I could recognize the smooth tones of his voice from anywhere, and a thrill went through me. I stopped, mid-splash, and lifted my head high, flinging my now wet mane away from my face as I did so. “Yanhua!” I greeted him with a pleasant smile on my face and a note of happiness in my voice. My stallion was finally home! I couldn’t quite see him yet, but I could now hear him coming closer. And then he was there, in all of his magnificent glory. I whinnied loudly, unable to contain my excitement, especially when he says “darling girl.” The words sound so right coming from his lips.

    I step toward him as he comes nearer, reaching my nose out to touch his. He doesn’t move nearly close enough, though, so I move in closer, pressing my chest to his chest, linking my neck with his. “I missed you, too” I breathe into his back, long, deep breaths of fresh relief and love. I wasn’t ready to move away from him, not yet, so I stand there close, my wet skin dripping on his.

    Finally, I step back so I can look at him properly. What would his little dove like to do today? Well, I knew just what I’d like to do. There was something I had been sitting on for a couple of months now, ever since I’d found the burned and charred part of my new home. “Come with me!” I say, breathlessly. Then, without another word, I spin on my hind legs, an elegant move, and leap forward down the path that I knew so well by now. I throw my head over my shoulder for a brief moment to make sure he is following, then I turn and move forward with a purpose.

    I cantered through the trees, barely noticing them as I did. The hot sun beats down through the limbs above me, and pretty soon I am slick with sweat that mixes with the water that is quickly evaporating from my body. I move with grace and dignity, though in a rushed kind of way, until we came to the edge of the area where the fire had consumed a large portion of the Taiga forest. Here I slow, to a walk.

    It would be different than when Yanhua last saw it, fresh seedlings now popping through the charred earth, larger than they should have been, for I had been coming out here ever since I had found my way here, and since I’d discovered my gift. I look back over my shoulder with a grin on my face, expecting to see a shocked and possibly bewildered look on his face. Then I stop beside a smaller seedling. “Watch this,” I say in a voice barely above a whisper. I concentrate on the seedling before me, and slowly it starts to move, to shift, and grow.

    I had been waiting for what felt like an eternity to show him this, knowing that he would be both thrilled and proud. When I felt my energy faltering, I take a deep breath and look back up at him, waiting with bated breath for his reaction.

    borderline

    Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Unsplash


    @[Yanhua]
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    #4

    I got extra feelings

    He always told himself to be smart, to be careful with Borderline, but she made that impossible sometimes. It didn’t help that Yanhua was completely smitten with her, either. As much as he wanted to be patient and not rush into anything too serious with the newly-initiated Taigan, Yanhua found that he enjoyed the way she doted over him much more. He didn’t resist her advances, more or less falling into them like a stallion who’d recently developed a bad habit, lowering his neck to pull her closer in an embrace that brought the two of them comfortably close together. Like so, he could see her feelings in his own thoughts - almost as if their physical touch was an unbroken connection between them - and the pure, innocent love she felt for him had Yanhua all the more convinced he needn’t hold back at all.

    They were both sort of young, and this was new love in its honeymoon phase. Why resist when he could enjoy instead? Why hold back when he loved the sensation of her cool, soft gray fur mingling with his own? Besides, she fit so nicely against him that it seemed like nature herself approved. Borderline had come here by happenstance - who was Yan to deny fate?

    She pulled back and looked him over, and Yanhua felt the steady thump, thump of his heart reacting. He wanted to reach out again and pull her close once more, promise her things like the moon and the stars if she’d stay with him forever, but he didn’t get the opportunity. Borderline surprised him instead and took off; he reacted slowly at first, intrigued by the vagueness of her request, but soon enough was following her blue tail through the woods. As they went along he noticed how familiar she’d become with their home since he’d been gone, and Yanhua was silently proud of the way she maneuvered through the redwoods like she’d grown up here all along.

    He’d been a little worried that Borderline might’ve stayed cooped up without him around. Clearly, she was a mare of many talents.

    He wanted to ask her where it was she was taking him, but found the request unnecessary as the scenery around them began to change. Then he knew just where they were headed, and Yan’s intrigue peaked as they passed by the healthy sections of Taiga’s forest to travel further into the still-charred remains. Of all the places he’d expected Borderline to discover and explore, this place hadn’t been at the top of that list. Yanhua slowed to a trot and gave her some space, winding his way lazily from left-to-right as he clopped around bare, leafless trees. There seemed to be little to no life here, until Borderline stopped completely and ushered her mate closer for a look.

    Yanhua stopped trotting and edged towards the smaller mare at a lengthy walk, careful not to step on the little buds with his goat’s hooves. “Look at that! So soon!” Yanhua exclaimed, just as surprised as Borderline had expected. She bade him, ‘watch this’ and he did, coming to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her as he peered down into the soil where the little sprouts were quietly growing. To his utter amazement, one of the buds nearest Borderline began to quiver and grow - like magic.

    He turned instantly to look at the blue-haired mare, his jaw slack from shock.
    Borderline… she had done this! In the little time he’d been gone, his love had found her calling and started to mend their home! Yanhua was speechless; what could he possibly say to sum up the entirety of his feelings in this moment? Beyond amazement there was a wave of appreciation, steadily growing until he felt a lump at the back of his throat. “Borderline,” Yanhua whispered, his denim-blue eyes gone soft and his voice thick with gratitude, “this is perfect. You’re perfect.”

    Unthinkingly, Yanhua bent his head and pressed it into the crook of her cheek.
    “How did I get so lucky?” He whispered. I’ve been blessed, he thought, and at the thought of it his mane and tail began to glow a bit brighter. Just between his shoulders, a little dancing light flared to life - unnoticed by himself, but still there - where it trembled and stayed put. Heat flooded through him, setting every drop of blood in his veins on fire, and Yanhua’s head rose. He stared deeply into Borderline’s expectant gaze, almost in pain from the desire of wanting her, and reached out to brush away the loose tangles of her forelock.

    “Stay here with me, forever. Be the mother to my children and help me rebuild Taiga again.” Yan mumbled feverishly against the gray swirl of her skin, afraid of what he might feel if she denied him. “I love you, Borderline.”
    PERSONALITY | HISTORY | REFERENCES


    @[Borderline]
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    #5

    despite the overwhelming odds, tomorrow came

    I had indeed come to know the Taigan lands fairly well these last few months. Without him, I had taken to exploring as much as possible. I had told him I loved these lands, and indeed, why would I shut myself away from something that I loved? No, I had scoured the lands from north to south and east to west, learning everything I could. One thing I had not done, however, was socialize. I found myself to be quite reclusive, waiting for Yanhua to return. I should change that, though, as I’ve never been the type to hide away. I was in a rush to show him what I had found and what I had done, though, so none of this is of any consequence to me as I leapt through the underbrush.

    When I had reached my destination, I chanced a glance back at him once more, an eager look on my face. I wanted to hide the eagerness, lest I give away the surprise, but it filled me so thoroughly that I found the task impossible. So instead, I let it bubble forth from me as I leaned in close to show him what I could do. As the small seedling grew, I broke concentration just enough to glance up at the stallion, admiring the way he stood so perfectly against the tree-line. He is devilishly handsome, I must admit.

    When he whispered my name, it sent a thrill through me. I wanted him whispering my name over and over in my ear for the rest of my life. I wanted to hear his voice, so soft and elegant, until the day I should return to the earth from which I’d come. I feel the urge to press myself into him, an urge that I follow, leaning my side against his, lifting my cheek to his. Just as he expresses his sentiment, I can’t help but feel that I am perfect, perfect for him. “Yanhua,” I whisper in return, my voice carrying the sentiment of love and adoration that I felt deep within me.

    As he presses his face into the crook of my neck, I press even closer into him. If I could, I would have melted into him, become one with him so that we would never have to be separated again. The last few months without him had been hard. I had been dreadfully sad and lonely. Now, however, I felt whole and alive and so not alone. “I am the lucky one,” I breathe out.

    When he looked into my eyes, I could feel the heat coming off of him. It is a heat that radiates right back from within me, a heat that comes from two things all at once, the love that I feel for this stallion and the natural rhythms of time and fertility. When he reaches out to brush the soft tendrils of mane from my forehead, I reach forward to brush my nose against his cheek. When he tells me that he wants me to stay here forever, have his children, and rebuild Taiga, I return with a whispered response, “Forever and always, I want to be here with you. I want to rebuild our home together, and I want to bear your children. I love you, too, Yanhua.”

    I shift my weight, moving slightly away from him and ahead of him, knowing that my scent would wash over him in a tantalizing and provocative way. I toss my head back at him, flirting, my blue mane sweeping back over my neck. I flick my tail so that it spreads my scent even further. I bump my hindquarters into his shoulder. I want him, and I know he wants me.

    borderline

    Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Unsplash


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