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Post by fynli on Mar 26, 2018 15:35:58 GMT -6
Before the War
Aisling & Alcaeus
Post Chapter 5
A chance of bonding over past lives |
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Post by foalish on Mar 26, 2018 17:54:40 GMT -6
 Alcaeus; Serora | The Folk
The sand, dust, and dry heat was starting to be familiar, but however many cracks it managed to find itself in, it was far from a comfort. If anything, it made his homesickness grow. Oh, how much did he find himself craving the beach sand, the waves, the ocean. He missed Cascade, just not her people. He wouldn’t let himself enjoy such a sentiment when he was surrounded by others, when he had tasks to do, but in the quiet times, when he had time to breath, he felt his mouth get a little dryer, for a thirst nothing but home could quench. Unattainable, forgotten, to never be fulfilled. He just hopped it would go away, for as of now, time had only made his throat more dry.
Serora, other than the miserable land, at least had many more down to earth people - despite being Alya’s herd. He’d met a few cryptic, a few dull, a few mediocre at best, but they weren’t like home. They were transparent compared to the opaque messes that Talori created. The strong beliefs that guided their views - it wasn’t the same here. There wasn’t pressure, for in its place there was acceptance. Value for family and friends over the gods. He felt like he could breath and open up his wings for once.
He saw faces her recognized from the fight, strewn about in the lands and people around him, but there were little moments that existed in which he felt comfortable to approach. Most of the time, he just glared, with almost a judgmental expression that always graced his face. There was no real reason he didn’t approach, other than the fear and judgement or of being turned away, Maybe even of overstepping boundaries of a bond he dreamed up of in his illusion of the Flock. Most of all, it was nothing but his insecurities installed in him that got him to stare, huff and move on. To claim that they weren’t worth his time, despite the craving of contact, to actually talk about what happened, with any of them.
He recognized Aisling, her foal with her; his gaze rested on her for a few seconds longer than normal, his pace halted. He didn’t approach, gazing afar at the small family interact. He debated turning away and moving on, to forget his stupid whims and wants that he considered childish. But instead, in a few mere seconds, he listened to the young voice in his ear and slowly approached the acquaintance, repressing himself from announcing his presence.
WC: 427 | Post 1 |
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Post by fynli on Apr 3, 2018 20:12:55 GMT -6
= Aisling =
1 | 307Life was fair in Serora. It was simple and just, a whole community focused on nothing but family. Aisling enjoyed it, despite still having her reserves about how friendly every Seroran was. Primrose was content though, amusing herself endlessly every day.
Aisling watched her now, a gentle glow of pride lighting her eyes as her child pranced around. The filly held insatiable curiosity, a virtue her mother wanted her to keep forever; however, fear caused Aisling the desire to rein in her child’s wonder. The girl was always looking to the horizon, forever silent about her thoughts but Aisling knew the look in her eyes. There was an ache in her heart every time Primrose cantered off too far, even though she knew Prim would come running straight back.
Even now, the pale filly came running back, skidding to a trot before rubbing her face against her mother’s breast feathers. Aisling smiled, touching her nose affectionately to her daughter’s wavy locks. When the filly’s head shifted suddenly, Aisling’s eyes followed, her feathers raising in defense until her gaze landed on the familiar face of Alcaeus. Frowning, her feathers lay flat once more, a soft chuff blowing from her nostrils as she assessed the situation. Most of the flock she had refused to speak to once moving into Osulas- at least, the more radical of the Flight. Alcaeus was not one of them.
Letting a smile lift her anxious expression, Aisling nodded to his approach, allowing him to come closer. Primrose was less excited by the arrival of the stranger, finding comfort in hiding under her mother’s wing.
“How is Serora treating you, Alcaeus?” She offered a conversation, her voice soft and swimming in the tones of a gentle mother. As with everyone else, her eyes never met his, falling just short of his cheek as he approached.
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Post by foalish on Apr 4, 2018 23:27:33 GMT -6
Alcaeus; Serora | The Folk
He felt pathetic approaching, even just staring her way. Watching a child and parent interact and go about their day. He huffed to himself, tried to get himself to move away, but his legs refused to answer to his call; he quietly admitted to himself, then and there, that there was something relaxing and reassuring just seeing someone who went through a similar ordeal as him, being able to relax and enjoy themselves in Sedo. He was having a very hard time thinking about anything but feeling judge or being homesick. It was sort of miserable, but she seemed passed that.
He was surprised, ashamed too, when he saw that Aisling noticed him. Of course then, his legs felt ready to react, about to move on and pretend that they hadn't even stopped to think twice or look their way, but he didn't even take a step away, before he realized right away that Aisling was instead welcoming him. Well - that was the wrong word, but not chasing away him away, instead acknowledging his presence too.
He took his chance to move closer to her, so that conversation was comfortable. His expression reverted back to the natural expression, lacking the shock from before. He looked closer to solemn in the moment. "Hello, Aisling," he greeted. He then took a second to act as though he pondered the question, even though the response had came immediately. "It's alright - isn't what I'm used to, far from Talori, but I guess that's what I should be happy about." Except being in a desert - he wasn't quite fond of that. "What about you? How has your time been here, so far?" He asked. He noted at the back of his mind that his composure and questions felt less forced than normal.
WC: 297 | Post 2 |
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Post by fynli on Apr 11, 2018 8:03:59 GMT -6
= Aisling =
2 | 345The smile never left her eyes as Alcaeus responded curtly. She hadn’t known him long enough in the short time he’d been in the Flock but she knew him well enough that he wasn’t the open type. Perhaps time in this new herd would allow him to bloom.
“I don’t think any of us are used to it quite yet,” she chimed in, the corners of her mouth faltering at the forgotten thought of dark jungles and misty mornings. Aisling would miss it just as much as anyone who had been born there would but with Talori came death and violence. She wouldn’t trade this new life for the world. Sure, it took some adjusting to, what with the heat and the dry air. New changes weren’t something she wasn’t accustomed to, fortunately.
A quiet breath escaped her lungs at his question, eyes glancing down to notice Prim peeking tentatively at the newcomer. “It’s been fair,” she mused, turning her gaze to stare off into the horizon once more. “The Serorans are kind and just, everyone treated equally. It’s not Aquore but I suppose that’s a good thing?” She turned back to Alcaeus for affirmation, giving him an uneasy smile.
Silence fell between them. Aisling was used to the quiet, cherished it almost; however, as she stood there with the other pegasus, a nagging question poked at her thoughts. She didn’t know him at all, much less anyone else in the Flock. She knew her husband, certainly, but no one else had seemed to be keen on sharing their pasts. She never shared hers. She couldn’t help but pry though, wanting to know more about the pegasus next to her.
“What was your life like back home?” Home felt strange on her tongue, the connotation that the Aerie was still fresh on her mind almost stinging. Talori wasn’t home anymore but both of them had been there long enough to still call it so. The question was blunt but spoken with a softness as Aisling didn’t mean to offend with a personal question. Simple curiosity.
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Post by foalish on Apr 12, 2018 16:39:13 GMT -6
Alcaeus; Serora | The Folk
Alcaeus gave a wary smile over to his new company then shifted his gaze to stare out into the horizon, as if to collect his thoughts. After a few seconds, he turned back to Aisling. He lacked a smile, but his eyes had a different, bit brighter light to them - as if to show off any positive emotions instead whatever they be. "It's gonna be a few months to get there, I think," he replied on a large sigh, "or years, at this rate." He blew out a bit of air at the last part, as if he was borderline laughing.
Alcaeus took a few seconds of internal debating whether he should proceed with his actions, but after a bit, he approached Aisling a bit more and settled in a bit, a sign of being committed to the conversation in his eyes. He didn't even know most of her life or why she had joined the flock, but he understood a lot about why she had left it and why she'd switched to Serora. They could find a lot to talk about if he tried; perhaps an assumption, but they would have a lot in common.
"Yeah," he looked over at her and nodded with her statement. He took another pause to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "Talori has the views, here has the horses." He sighed again; there was going to be a lot to learn from these horses, about their lives and ways of acceptance. The flock had all been radical and normally more progressive then most of Talori, but there was many things around here he hadn't even thought of. He probably had a lot of outdated views that held him back in life; he'd ran into a few already - internalized problems about himself. "I like it though," he admitted, "I think they have a lot to teach me, I still have a lot to learn." He looked up at her and for the first time, flashed a small smile. "They're good horses who understand me better than I do myself, I think." His smile faded and he shifted back into his neutral expression. "Yah know?" he asked, trying to at least rope her in from his rambling.
The question caught him a bit off guard. If if were a question from any Seroran, he wouldn't answer, or perhaps maybe would vaguely. But as he felt around for the walls he normally would have around them, they were gone in her presence. She knew. She had no reason to judge. "It was....Lonely, it comes to mind." He sighed deeply and looked off as he began to speak. "Before I was on my own in Talori - I had a big family, my mom was religious as they came. She cut off her own wings for Cascade and prayed for her nightly. I only had one Pegasi brother, but I think he was conditioned into her belief and followed her footsteps, perhaps a bit more anxiously." His gaze flicked over to her. "I was the same - no one knows, but I even tried to cut off my wings too." His voice had a tinge of disgust in it at the memory, from saying it aloud for the first time. "I don't think I was truly like them though - no matter how much I was conditioned and told myself I wanted to, I just didn't. Couldn't. I got angry at myself, my family, Talori, and it was through my immature anger that I realized that I wasn't wrong, they were. Then that brought me to the flock then here." He tucked his wings closer to his body, looking over at her. "What about you?"
WC: 615 | Post 3 |
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Post by fynli on Apr 30, 2018 18:56:39 GMT -6
= Aisling =
3 | 526Aisling was quiet as Alcaeus opened up, keeping her gaze respectfully pointed towards him. One ear was cocked back to her daughter however - half listening to Al and half keeping track of her silent filly.
For his story, she didn’t know what to expect. Perhaps a mundane life before ultimately turning to the Flock for resistance? Ouusaldus’ history was the most dramatic one she knew of the Flight, besides her own. Her ignorance for how life was for Talorian born pegasi certainly didn’t help. His background, however, was one she didn’t expect.
The shock was openly presented on her face as he told her of his overzealous family, the wings that had been removed as a sign of faith. A miniature sacrifice to remove the perceived sins of one race. Her own wings twitched at the thought of a blade coming across them. Aisling never understood it, even when the riots raged on into the night and countless lives were endangered because of the alleged wishes of one deity. She had been born not of Alya nor Cascade, simply neutral to the ways of religion. Now she felt nothing but pain and anger towards gods that did not speak, gods that did not truly care for their children when they needed it most.
Closing her mouth slowly, the mare stretched out her neck, touching her nose to his cheek in a show of comfort and solidarity. His focus turned to her and she recoiled at his question, flicking her ears back in discomfort. Her story was not one that was openly shared. Only her husband truly knew all the details of her past life’s demise. However, he was open enough to share the tragedies of his history, it was only fair that she returned the favor.
A heavy sigh carried through her body as she recalled her life before the Flock. “I never supported the Flight, you know. I was only there for my own safety.” She fell quiet for a moment, glancing towards her daughter to make sure she was playing just out of earshot.
“I used to be a hedgewitch living in the jungle, married with a wife and two beautiful little boys. Completely ignorant to what was going on just across the mountains.” A wistful laugh left her as she recalled their faces, tilting her head up as if they were just above her, watching the two from their place in the heavens. “It was a simple life. Then creatures of the darkness came and took it all away from me. They slaughtered my family, burned them alive and danced around their ashes singing praise to their damned pagan god.” Usually this story came with tears and a choked voice, now all Aisling could muster was a deep sense of exhaustion.
“Ouusaldus eventually found me and welcomed me into the Flock. I’ve been there ever since,” she finished with a tired smile at Alcaeus, preferring to keep it short and sweet. He didn’t seem to be the type to ask for anymore details and for that she was thankful.
“And now we’re both here,” she whispered, turning her gaze out across Alya’s land.
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Post by foalish on May 10, 2018 0:22:04 GMT -6
Alcaeus; Serora | The Folk
Alcaeus closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he was willing to look at Aisling again. It felt like he’d lifted a stone off his back, speaking it all aloud. It wasn’t much, and he wasn’t quite ready to give more than what he already did, but it still felt good. To be open when he’d felt, for 32 years, any of it couldn’t be spoken of. It was a hard truth to come to, it was hard to open up to. It was change and even through the slew of changes he’d recently partaken in, it was still hard to try and push himself a little more. But Aisling made it a little easier; a character he felt true, that could at least understand.
He stared at her for a second, blinking and seeing how she took it in; she didn’t comment more, which he didn’t mind. She seemed to accept it, have her own feelings on his truth and then jumped right in to tackle the question, perhaps with some hesitance to her.
It wasn’t hard to find out why, after the first few sentences.
The whole time she spoke, Alcaeus kept his posture stiff, wings close, head straight. His gaze was unwavering and intense, all before she even started to get into it. The words filled him with an emotion he never quite experienced before; an intense rage, but so condensed and with a purpose it burned his insides. At first, he hardened, his stiff posture turning to stone. And then, as if heated up beyond melting point, he looked about ready to melt. Wings, falling down, legs looking weak, head lowered a bit. But his gaze didn’t change; anger still intense on his face.
He could only stare; he wasn’t one to comfort and he wasn’t sure how to comfort her - if touch was something she’d be ok with; if she even needed it that much. He couldn’t imagine those things being something you ever truly get over. The longer he was quiet, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. To hurt those who hurt her. To find and take revenge. To do something more than talk about it.
He gritted his teeth, and the it seemed to fade away, all the anger, in a quick flash. He opened his eyes; a bit of fire still there, but something else was written on his face. He couldn’t change her past; he couldn’t take revenge on horses all the way across the sea, whom he didn’t even know. He didn’t even know if she’d ever want it. There was no point to bring those up. It was a sad truth.
“I’m glad Ouusladus was there. I’m glad you were found. I’m glad, even if you didn’t liked the flight, that you were there. I’m glad I got to meet you.” He stared at her with an intense gaze; showing more emotions in his eyes than he’d given in a long, long time. He then looked over at Primrose; a faint smile appeared on his lips. “That you’re here, that you decided to stay, that you have them.” He stared for a second, before looking back at her. “I can’t imagine what any of that was like, I don’t think I’d have made it through the loss myself. You, of all horses deserve better,” he took a large sigh, stating words she probably already knew. “But I’m glad you’re here. And if I have to myself, I’ll make sure it never happens again,” he finished with a small chuckle with the last words, yet still sealing a promise.
Honestly, most of it was rambling, and he had no idea what to truly say beyond that, because everything he felt couldn’t be described. What he wanted to say was far too articulated for his mind. So they both had to settle.
WC: 648 | Post 4 |
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