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+---- Thread: [P] If tomorrow was too late (/showthread.php?tid=6565)
If tomorrow was too late - Below Zero - 09-04-2021
B e l o w Z e r o
and tomorrow was too late
could you say 'goodbye' to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
Had the courts always felt this quiet?
Even now, as she walked the streets, she was surprised by how . . . . still it was. But it was a stillness that was charged up, like a storm coming on the horizon, a storm that would promise to shake everything. She could taste it now, feel it like a tremor down her back, the very vapors that rolled over her spine chilling her to the core. What would become of her beloved home? For Dusk was truly her home. But, when was the last time Rhone had been seen? She hadn't seen him in a while, herself, she'd stopped going to their arranged training sessions where he'd been teaching her how to properly fight, since he'd not been there in a while.
Which was it's own problem.
Her magic was stronger than before, a whirlwind power that seemed to promise all kinds chaos when she released it. But, she was falling behind in using her own body as a weapon. What kind of battlemage could only fight with magic. What would happen if that magic ran out, what then? She would be like a sitting duck . . . well not exactly, but fairly close, fairly similar. She had the scars on her hip that proved she could take things on if need be. But she didn't do very good at fighting them off.
She sighed as she made her way from the quiet streets.
Her steps changed sounds, the cloven, slightly hooked hooves clack-scritching against the rocks of the cliff as she moved towards the edge, the breeze from the ocean sending salt air to her face, feeling comfortable with the sight of the ocean. Yuki slid from her shoulders, finding a raised rock to warm herself on, curled up like a normal snake of the land. Bel glanced towards her, before laying down, letting her forehooves dangle off the edge of the cliffs with little fear, eyes relaxed, and sighing quietly.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: Figured he can approach and they can strike up a conversation.
Even now, as she walked the streets, she was surprised by how . . . . still it was. But it was a stillness that was charged up, like a storm coming on the horizon, a storm that would promise to shake everything. She could taste it now, feel it like a tremor down her back, the very vapors that rolled over her spine chilling her to the core. What would become of her beloved home? For Dusk was truly her home. But, when was the last time Rhone had been seen? She hadn't seen him in a while, herself, she'd stopped going to their arranged training sessions where he'd been teaching her how to properly fight, since he'd not been there in a while.
Which was it's own problem.
Her magic was stronger than before, a whirlwind power that seemed to promise all kinds chaos when she released it. But, she was falling behind in using her own body as a weapon. What kind of battlemage could only fight with magic. What would happen if that magic ran out, what then? She would be like a sitting duck . . . well not exactly, but fairly close, fairly similar. She had the scars on her hip that proved she could take things on if need be. But she didn't do very good at fighting them off.
She sighed as she made her way from the quiet streets.
Her steps changed sounds, the cloven, slightly hooked hooves clack-scritching against the rocks of the cliff as she moved towards the edge, the breeze from the ocean sending salt air to her face, feeling comfortable with the sight of the ocean. Yuki slid from her shoulders, finding a raised rock to warm herself on, curled up like a normal snake of the land. Bel glanced towards her, before laying down, letting her forehooves dangle off the edge of the cliffs with little fear, eyes relaxed, and sighing quietly.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: Figured he can approach and they can strike up a conversation.
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Liam - 09-06-2021
Liam Kenway
This was the most quiet he'd experienced in quite some time.
The market, as he walked amongst the stalls and streets, seemed subdued, quiet in a way that felt foreign and off-putting to him. It made him uneasy, so much so that his anxiety tripled the further he walked along the market. There were so very few citizens amongst the stalls, almost like everyone had disappeared without a trace. What had happened to Dusk Court to make everyone like this? This was his home, and seeing it this quiet had him worrying about what was to come. Was there something wrong with the Sovereign? He was a slight thing; if he was sick, would he have been able to recover? There were whispers, Liam heard them as he walked along, assumptions, even quiet accusations.
As a soldier in the Dusk Court military, Liam was supposed to report these swirling rumors to his superiors, right? But wouldn't that be Rhone?
Confusion swirled in the stallion's brain, and he wasn't entirely too sure as to what he needed to do. Pausing before he officially left the Citadel and the quiet markets behind, Liam gazed at the Citadel, ears flicking backwards. He was torn. Sighing heavily, he shook his head and moved on, deciding not to bring anything up to the long-absent Sovereign. Nothing would happen, Liam was sure, and the markets and Dusk Court would continue to be silent.
Shrugging to himself, Liam moved on, heading toward the cliffs.
Historically, Liam didn't have a great experience with cliffs, but he was smarter these days. He was stronger and had more of a will to live than before. The scent of the saltwater hit him before the sound of crashing waves did. Smiling to himself, the stallion picked up his pace a little, ears pricked forward before his brow furrowed and his pace slackened at the sight of someone sitting on the edge of a cliff. Clearing his throat rather obnoxiously -- he grimaced as he did so, but how else would he announce his approach? -- Liam approached carefully. "Please tell me you're not thinking of jumping? I did it once. Do not recommend it. It's not fun, drowning," he admitted, turning his gaze to the crashing waves beneath them.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Ehehe, there's a story behind his words XD
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 376
The market, as he walked amongst the stalls and streets, seemed subdued, quiet in a way that felt foreign and off-putting to him. It made him uneasy, so much so that his anxiety tripled the further he walked along the market. There were so very few citizens amongst the stalls, almost like everyone had disappeared without a trace. What had happened to Dusk Court to make everyone like this? This was his home, and seeing it this quiet had him worrying about what was to come. Was there something wrong with the Sovereign? He was a slight thing; if he was sick, would he have been able to recover? There were whispers, Liam heard them as he walked along, assumptions, even quiet accusations.
As a soldier in the Dusk Court military, Liam was supposed to report these swirling rumors to his superiors, right? But wouldn't that be Rhone?
Confusion swirled in the stallion's brain, and he wasn't entirely too sure as to what he needed to do. Pausing before he officially left the Citadel and the quiet markets behind, Liam gazed at the Citadel, ears flicking backwards. He was torn. Sighing heavily, he shook his head and moved on, deciding not to bring anything up to the long-absent Sovereign. Nothing would happen, Liam was sure, and the markets and Dusk Court would continue to be silent.
Shrugging to himself, Liam moved on, heading toward the cliffs.
Historically, Liam didn't have a great experience with cliffs, but he was smarter these days. He was stronger and had more of a will to live than before. The scent of the saltwater hit him before the sound of crashing waves did. Smiling to himself, the stallion picked up his pace a little, ears pricked forward before his brow furrowed and his pace slackened at the sight of someone sitting on the edge of a cliff. Clearing his throat rather obnoxiously -- he grimaced as he did so, but how else would he announce his approach? -- Liam approached carefully. "Please tell me you're not thinking of jumping? I did it once. Do not recommend it. It's not fun, drowning," he admitted, turning his gaze to the crashing waves beneath them.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Ehehe, there's a story behind his words XD
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 376
I'm with you till the end of the line
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Below Zero - 09-06-2021
B e l o w Z e r o
and tomorrow was too late
could you say 'goodbye' to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
Her thoughts were interrupted.
The sound of movement caught her attention, and while she kept looking ahead, the smaller set of eyes behind her larger pair swivelled back, watching the approach. Familiar. She'd seen them around the courts before. Their name escaped her however. His words though, how ever; had her laugh slightly and turn to look at him directly. "If I did, it would be a dive, not a jump, and certainly not to drown myself - It is hard to drown with gills." She responded, before turning to look back out at the sea, "No . . . I'm just admiring the view." She stated simply.
The wind whipped up, the spray of salt carried up the cliff.
She closed her eyes, breathing it in, "It's peaceful up here. Watching the horizon, the waves crash. At least this sort of silence is normal." She paused, glancing up at him, "The quiet in the Courts, among the market? That silence is settling." She admitted, turning back towards the ocean once more. "I've seen you around, but I'm terrible with names, might you remind me of yours? I'm Bel, if you didn't already know." She added.
Her muzzle dropped to her knee.
Her body relaxed more to the soft crash of the waves, as her fluked tail slid more easily around her, resting against her hip as she smiled comfortably, "So, why did you come up to this cliff face?" She added, tilting her head, curious and allowing the distraction, it was all more distractions to keep her from making a choice with Sol, acknowledging the quiet deadness of Terrastella, being aware of how wrong everything seems to be lately.
Or in the case of Sol, how right it could be.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: She's just looking for a distracting conversation I think
The sound of movement caught her attention, and while she kept looking ahead, the smaller set of eyes behind her larger pair swivelled back, watching the approach. Familiar. She'd seen them around the courts before. Their name escaped her however. His words though, how ever; had her laugh slightly and turn to look at him directly. "If I did, it would be a dive, not a jump, and certainly not to drown myself - It is hard to drown with gills." She responded, before turning to look back out at the sea, "No . . . I'm just admiring the view." She stated simply.
The wind whipped up, the spray of salt carried up the cliff.
She closed her eyes, breathing it in, "It's peaceful up here. Watching the horizon, the waves crash. At least this sort of silence is normal." She paused, glancing up at him, "The quiet in the Courts, among the market? That silence is settling." She admitted, turning back towards the ocean once more. "I've seen you around, but I'm terrible with names, might you remind me of yours? I'm Bel, if you didn't already know." She added.
Her muzzle dropped to her knee.
Her body relaxed more to the soft crash of the waves, as her fluked tail slid more easily around her, resting against her hip as she smiled comfortably, "So, why did you come up to this cliff face?" She added, tilting her head, curious and allowing the distraction, it was all more distractions to keep her from making a choice with Sol, acknowledging the quiet deadness of Terrastella, being aware of how wrong everything seems to be lately.
Or in the case of Sol, how right it could be.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: She's just looking for a distracting conversation I think
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Liam - 09-09-2021
Liam Kenway
There was no movement from the mare.
Except for her eyes.
They swiveled back to look at him, and he internally grimaced, not expecting that. Was she an equine? She didn't look like one. No matter, he decided, and he stopped about five feet from her, staying away from the edge of the cliff as if his life depended on it. As far as he knew, it did. There was still no explanation or answer for why he'd come back from the dead after he walked off the cliff in Caeleste, but he chalked it up to the fact that that world having had magic aplenty. Was this mare from there? He'd never seen her, but he was certain that there were equines there that he'd never met. The mare beside him laughed, and she turned to fully look at him. Gills, huh? Interesting. Liam offered a gentle smile, and he looked out over the water, inhaling the sea air deeply as the breeze swept his mane and tail away from his body. "Ah, forgive me. But the view is quite spectacular, isn't it?" He murmured, embracing both the warm breeze and the smell of the sea air.
In that moment, the wind kicked up, the spray of the water crashing against the cliffs, spraying him with the smallest of droplets.
It was peaceful here. Quiet, but not in an unsettling sort of way. The odd-looking mare was speaking again, and Liam nodded in agreement. "It's almost ethereal," he responded, shifting his weight on his hooves for a few moments before looking at the mare again. "I've never heard Terrastella so quiet before. I can't wrap my head around how it's been allowed to get like that," he murmured, flattening his ears against his head uneasily. It wasn't like him to talk against the one he serves, and while he respected Rhone and all the things that the other stallion had done, it wasn't fair to Terrastella and her citizens to continue carrying on this way. Their shared attention floated back to the water, and Liam had to chuckle gently. "My boyfriend would say that I have a forgettable face, but he jests," he responds, lips curling into a tender smile at the thought of Bucky.
"Name's Liam. I think I've seen you out and about before, but never got the opportunity to say hello. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bel," he replied, dipping his head.
Wordlessly, they lapsed back into silence.
Only the waves crashing broke the silence before Bel spoke again. She inquired why he came up to the cliff face, and he huffed a soft laugh, his ears flicking back before they pricked again. "I wanted to escape the Court for a brief moment. It was too still, too quiet. I couldn't focus, and the noiselessness was making me feel uneasy and antsy. You? What made you make the trek all the way out here?" Liam answered and further inquired, his curiosity piqued by this odd-looking but sweet mare. He could tell that she was of no danger, and that he would be safe if he let his defenses down, which he did.
His body posture relaxed, his muscles softening, and he even seemed to shrink a few hands, though that was physically impossible. Liam looked at ease for the first time in a while, and he sighed softly, contentedly, as he looked over the water once again.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Ehehe, there's a story behind his words XD
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 572
Except for her eyes.
They swiveled back to look at him, and he internally grimaced, not expecting that. Was she an equine? She didn't look like one. No matter, he decided, and he stopped about five feet from her, staying away from the edge of the cliff as if his life depended on it. As far as he knew, it did. There was still no explanation or answer for why he'd come back from the dead after he walked off the cliff in Caeleste, but he chalked it up to the fact that that world having had magic aplenty. Was this mare from there? He'd never seen her, but he was certain that there were equines there that he'd never met. The mare beside him laughed, and she turned to fully look at him. Gills, huh? Interesting. Liam offered a gentle smile, and he looked out over the water, inhaling the sea air deeply as the breeze swept his mane and tail away from his body. "Ah, forgive me. But the view is quite spectacular, isn't it?" He murmured, embracing both the warm breeze and the smell of the sea air.
In that moment, the wind kicked up, the spray of the water crashing against the cliffs, spraying him with the smallest of droplets.
It was peaceful here. Quiet, but not in an unsettling sort of way. The odd-looking mare was speaking again, and Liam nodded in agreement. "It's almost ethereal," he responded, shifting his weight on his hooves for a few moments before looking at the mare again. "I've never heard Terrastella so quiet before. I can't wrap my head around how it's been allowed to get like that," he murmured, flattening his ears against his head uneasily. It wasn't like him to talk against the one he serves, and while he respected Rhone and all the things that the other stallion had done, it wasn't fair to Terrastella and her citizens to continue carrying on this way. Their shared attention floated back to the water, and Liam had to chuckle gently. "My boyfriend would say that I have a forgettable face, but he jests," he responds, lips curling into a tender smile at the thought of Bucky.
"Name's Liam. I think I've seen you out and about before, but never got the opportunity to say hello. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bel," he replied, dipping his head.
Wordlessly, they lapsed back into silence.
Only the waves crashing broke the silence before Bel spoke again. She inquired why he came up to the cliff face, and he huffed a soft laugh, his ears flicking back before they pricked again. "I wanted to escape the Court for a brief moment. It was too still, too quiet. I couldn't focus, and the noiselessness was making me feel uneasy and antsy. You? What made you make the trek all the way out here?" Liam answered and further inquired, his curiosity piqued by this odd-looking but sweet mare. He could tell that she was of no danger, and that he would be safe if he let his defenses down, which he did.
His body posture relaxed, his muscles softening, and he even seemed to shrink a few hands, though that was physically impossible. Liam looked at ease for the first time in a while, and he sighed softly, contentedly, as he looked over the water once again.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Ehehe, there's a story behind his words XD
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 572
I'm with you till the end of the line
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Below Zero - 09-09-2021
B e l o w Z e r o
and tomorrow was too late
could you say 'goodbye' to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
The mare was curious.
Hard not to be when you don't know much about who comes upon you. Her ears pitched, finned edges flicking briefly. But she was happy to respond to his concern, assuring she wouldn't drown do to the gills. His gentle smile was a relief, no judgment, no skepticism on if she was dangerous or not. She dipped her head, accepting the apology even if her face showed her opinion that he didn't need one, as she glanced back towards the sea. "The view is rather lovely, breathtaking at times. Though, I think it can be just a little prettier beneath those waves." She admitted, eyes closing as the wind kicked up, spraying the faintest of droplets towards them.
The touch of the saltwater was like a palm.
This was a quiet she enjoyed. Her gaze danced back towards the stallion again when he agreed to the quiet of Terrastella, and her breath left in a soft sigh, "I agree, it's terrifying how . . . .listless it has become. I am equally concerned with what may have happened to Rhone. I haven't seen him in a short while . . . He even stopped showing up to our training sessions," She paused here, before adding for clarification, "He was teaching me some proper land based attacks. I'm fairly decent in keeping myself safe in the water, but am like a fish out of water when fighting on land." She frowned, uncertain, concerned even, "I haven't seen him in a while, however." She admitted.
She sighed quietly, concerned still.
"I just hope nothing seriously wrong had happened. Not to Terrastella, and not to Rhone either." She tilted her head when the other spoke and her ears perked curiously, even as she laughed, "I should certainly hope he's only joking. And I wouldn't say forgettable, I'm just terrible with recognizing others, particularly putting names to faces. I think it has more to do with how much I travel, and how many from other Courts I meet too, though." She admitted with a shrug. The look he had on his face when he mentioned his stallion was warming to Bel's heart however. Do I look like that when I think of or mention Sol?
He introduced himself as Liam.
She laughed, and dipped her head in acknowledgement, "You likely have. I tend to pop up all over the place. But it is lovely to meet you as well." The silence stretched again, waves crashing, both relaxing before she asked what brought him up here. She could understand that. Escape the odd stillness of the court. But she paused, her gaze watching the waves, "I suppose in part the same reason as you. The silence is suffocating in the Court right now. This silence is relaxing . . . It's . . . been helpful to let me think on some things . . ." Even as she said it, her muzzle twisted into a confused frown, uncertain in her emotions as those words from Sol surged to the forefront of her mind.
Coming up with an answer for him.
She sighed quietly, shrugging, "I guess, when I need a place to really think things through, I come here. It's a little easier to think beneath the waves, but . . . up here is nice too."
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: <3 I love Liam
Hard not to be when you don't know much about who comes upon you. Her ears pitched, finned edges flicking briefly. But she was happy to respond to his concern, assuring she wouldn't drown do to the gills. His gentle smile was a relief, no judgment, no skepticism on if she was dangerous or not. She dipped her head, accepting the apology even if her face showed her opinion that he didn't need one, as she glanced back towards the sea. "The view is rather lovely, breathtaking at times. Though, I think it can be just a little prettier beneath those waves." She admitted, eyes closing as the wind kicked up, spraying the faintest of droplets towards them.
The touch of the saltwater was like a palm.
This was a quiet she enjoyed. Her gaze danced back towards the stallion again when he agreed to the quiet of Terrastella, and her breath left in a soft sigh, "I agree, it's terrifying how . . . .listless it has become. I am equally concerned with what may have happened to Rhone. I haven't seen him in a short while . . . He even stopped showing up to our training sessions," She paused here, before adding for clarification, "He was teaching me some proper land based attacks. I'm fairly decent in keeping myself safe in the water, but am like a fish out of water when fighting on land." She frowned, uncertain, concerned even, "I haven't seen him in a while, however." She admitted.
She sighed quietly, concerned still.
"I just hope nothing seriously wrong had happened. Not to Terrastella, and not to Rhone either." She tilted her head when the other spoke and her ears perked curiously, even as she laughed, "I should certainly hope he's only joking. And I wouldn't say forgettable, I'm just terrible with recognizing others, particularly putting names to faces. I think it has more to do with how much I travel, and how many from other Courts I meet too, though." She admitted with a shrug. The look he had on his face when he mentioned his stallion was warming to Bel's heart however. Do I look like that when I think of or mention Sol?
He introduced himself as Liam.
She laughed, and dipped her head in acknowledgement, "You likely have. I tend to pop up all over the place. But it is lovely to meet you as well." The silence stretched again, waves crashing, both relaxing before she asked what brought him up here. She could understand that. Escape the odd stillness of the court. But she paused, her gaze watching the waves, "I suppose in part the same reason as you. The silence is suffocating in the Court right now. This silence is relaxing . . . It's . . . been helpful to let me think on some things . . ." Even as she said it, her muzzle twisted into a confused frown, uncertain in her emotions as those words from Sol surged to the forefront of her mind.
Coming up with an answer for him.
She sighed quietly, shrugging, "I guess, when I need a place to really think things through, I come here. It's a little easier to think beneath the waves, but . . . up here is nice too."
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: <3 I love Liam
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Liam - 09-26-2021
Liam Kenway
The stallion was concerned.
Here he was with someone that he didn't exactly know on a series of cliffs, things with which he didn't exactly have a great relationship. But the mare didn't look like she wanted to hurt him, and so Liam allowed his defenses to fall. Bel dipped her head, clearly accepting the apology, and he looked back toward the sea just as she did. "I don't have a very fond history with water and ice, but from a distance, all aspects of water are breathtaking and beautiful. Especially in the winter, even though I have a not-so-fond experience with that, too" he commented, wondering if she'd probe him for more details.
The caress of the saltwater sent his mind spiraling, reminding him of Bucky's fall, reminding him of the time he spent frozen, encased in layers of ice.
There was panic gripping his heart.
That is, until Bel gave a soft sigh, and he felt his mind racing back to him, like he was no longer having an out-of-body experience. Shifting his weight uneasily, the stallion maneuvered himself in such a way that the spray from the ocean wouldn't land on him, but also in a way so that Bel couldn't tell he'd moved. "Perhaps he's fallen ill and can't find the strength to leave his bed. I'll check in on him soon to make sure that he's okay," Liam responded. As a soldier, wasn't it his duty to protect the Sovereign? When Bel brought up the fact that Rhone was teaching her how to fight on land, he perked up. He was skilled at hand-to-hand combat, and he'd be happy to train her.
"You know, I'd be happy to teach you how to fight," he offered.
He waited patiently for her answer, ears pricked high atop his head as she continued to speak. Liam was curious, intent on learning more about the mare, and how she hoped that nothing bad had happened to Rhone or to Terrastella. As she laughed with him over Bucky, he grinned, and chuckled again. "He's certainly joking. Bucky is the grumpy sort, but I thoroughly enjoy his company, and I love him very much," he chuckles, grinning as she said that she was terrible with recognizing others. He hummed in understanding and nodded his head as he gazed back out at the water before them. "That's understandable. Meeting a lot of people can make remembering their names and faces difficult. Have you always been a traveller like that?" He inquired gently, that fond expression on his face from when he was talking about Bucky. The other stallion was incredible, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. But did Bucky feel the same way?
When he advised that he'd seen her around, Bel laughed and dipped her head again in acknowledgement. "Well-traveled, I'm guessing?" Liam teases fondly, giving her a tender look before he follows her gaze to the crashing waves below. "I hate the silence. I spent nearly four months on my own after my mother passed away when I was a year old. But then I ran into -- literally -- my best friend, who would later become my boyfriend. But you're right. Once we find a spot that we feel comfortable in, that silence is comforting. However, for an area that is supposed to be lively, noisy, and everything else in between to suddenly become silent? It's-- frightening," the stallion responded, his voice nearly drifting off as he finished.
The court being this silent could only mean one thing.
But did he actually want to think of it that way?
Liam sighed gently, flicking an ear back as he watched some of the oceanic birds coast and soar on the breeze coming off of the water. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but-- are you a fish? A horse? I guess I'm just a little bit confused, and I'd love to get the explanation if you don't mind sharing it?" He asked curiously, hesitantly, worried that she'd find him rude and slap him the face with her tail. Grimacing, Liam flicked his gaze between her and the water over and over, just waiting for a look of disgust to appear, but hoping it didn't.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Please don't hate him for his curiosity, Bel ;w;
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 709
Here he was with someone that he didn't exactly know on a series of cliffs, things with which he didn't exactly have a great relationship. But the mare didn't look like she wanted to hurt him, and so Liam allowed his defenses to fall. Bel dipped her head, clearly accepting the apology, and he looked back toward the sea just as she did. "I don't have a very fond history with water and ice, but from a distance, all aspects of water are breathtaking and beautiful. Especially in the winter, even though I have a not-so-fond experience with that, too" he commented, wondering if she'd probe him for more details.
The caress of the saltwater sent his mind spiraling, reminding him of Bucky's fall, reminding him of the time he spent frozen, encased in layers of ice.
There was panic gripping his heart.
That is, until Bel gave a soft sigh, and he felt his mind racing back to him, like he was no longer having an out-of-body experience. Shifting his weight uneasily, the stallion maneuvered himself in such a way that the spray from the ocean wouldn't land on him, but also in a way so that Bel couldn't tell he'd moved. "Perhaps he's fallen ill and can't find the strength to leave his bed. I'll check in on him soon to make sure that he's okay," Liam responded. As a soldier, wasn't it his duty to protect the Sovereign? When Bel brought up the fact that Rhone was teaching her how to fight on land, he perked up. He was skilled at hand-to-hand combat, and he'd be happy to train her.
"You know, I'd be happy to teach you how to fight," he offered.
He waited patiently for her answer, ears pricked high atop his head as she continued to speak. Liam was curious, intent on learning more about the mare, and how she hoped that nothing bad had happened to Rhone or to Terrastella. As she laughed with him over Bucky, he grinned, and chuckled again. "He's certainly joking. Bucky is the grumpy sort, but I thoroughly enjoy his company, and I love him very much," he chuckles, grinning as she said that she was terrible with recognizing others. He hummed in understanding and nodded his head as he gazed back out at the water before them. "That's understandable. Meeting a lot of people can make remembering their names and faces difficult. Have you always been a traveller like that?" He inquired gently, that fond expression on his face from when he was talking about Bucky. The other stallion was incredible, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. But did Bucky feel the same way?
When he advised that he'd seen her around, Bel laughed and dipped her head again in acknowledgement. "Well-traveled, I'm guessing?" Liam teases fondly, giving her a tender look before he follows her gaze to the crashing waves below. "I hate the silence. I spent nearly four months on my own after my mother passed away when I was a year old. But then I ran into -- literally -- my best friend, who would later become my boyfriend. But you're right. Once we find a spot that we feel comfortable in, that silence is comforting. However, for an area that is supposed to be lively, noisy, and everything else in between to suddenly become silent? It's-- frightening," the stallion responded, his voice nearly drifting off as he finished.
The court being this silent could only mean one thing.
But did he actually want to think of it that way?
Liam sighed gently, flicking an ear back as he watched some of the oceanic birds coast and soar on the breeze coming off of the water. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but-- are you a fish? A horse? I guess I'm just a little bit confused, and I'd love to get the explanation if you don't mind sharing it?" He asked curiously, hesitantly, worried that she'd find him rude and slap him the face with her tail. Grimacing, Liam flicked his gaze between her and the water over and over, just waiting for a look of disgust to appear, but hoping it didn't.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; Please don't hate him for his curiosity, Bel ;w;
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 709
I'm with you till the end of the line
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Below Zero - 09-30-2021
B e l o w Z e r o
and tomorrow was too late
could you say 'goodbye' to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
The mare was quiet, but attentive.
Perhaps it was the casual interactions, the relaxing atmosphere, the way defenses were falling. For the mare who gave Terrastella everything, it was always a moment of delight to begin forming connections with other members. To build those relationships. It made her feel less like an outsider, more like Dusk Court could really be her new pod, with members that were like family. It was helping to heal the scars on her own heart from her birthplace. She tilted her head, her smile almost sad, gaze watching the flow of the water, "Water is odd like that. Healing in one breath, and harmful in another." She commented softly, her eyes focused only on the water. "Where I come from, we're taught that from a young age. The water gives us life, but it can take it too." Tilting her head to the side, she glances at him finally.
The soft, sad smile is still present, but it warms slightly.
"But the ocean is forgiving. Renewing. But to those who forget the beauty of her caps can also be danger will be struck with ire. Beautiful, but powerful, and only by respecting the power, will you find yourself breathing the water, instead of drowning in it." She shakes her head briefly, the thoughts, the old words of her people that were ringing through her mind clearing slightly. "Of course, I imagine it's a lot more dangerous for those who can't actually breathe water. But the sentiment is still the same. Always beautiful, but caution is not so silly to maintain."
It was odd for her, realizing how far she'd come.
Her first steps on land had been halting, awkward as she came to grow her 'land legs' as she'd humored it, having to remember how to walk on terrain that wasn't ice and snow. But more than that, there was so much she could see, she could hear as she interacted. Coming from her people, with their own sayings and methodology, she was adapting well. While some 'fishy phrases' slipped out from time, and time again; she was finding it a lot more easy to communicate, to express herself in ways others could understand more. But, still kept her connected to her roots, and with her acknowledgment of the old ways; her connection to her roots, to where her people came from was even stronger now.
She wasn't just a creature of the sea.
She was meant to be a guardian of it . . . or rather the sea of another world. But there was a lot about those facts she kept locked away in her own head, she didn't want to share all the details with others unless that other was her sister . . . or Sol. She told Sol a lot . . . Which was another big reason she was at those cliffs, sorting out those thoughts, those worries. But they were secrets of hers to keep, and for that same reason, she didn't probe the stallion for a deeper understanding of his words, his thoughts. If he wanted to share, he would. Simple as that.
There was a movement.
She glanced his way again when he spoke, and where the male may have shifted so subtly from the ocean spray, the mare was almost basking in it, feeling the water, the salt lightly hydrates her skin and water-resistant fur, feeling that familiar spray that made her miss diving freely. The stallion's words had her thoughtful, and she frowned slightly, "I would imagine, had he fallen ill, wouldn't an attendant have alerted a medic? We would still have gotten a notice, an update." He'd have said something about missing their meetings, right? Her training was falling to the wayside. Her magic training was going well with her companion's assistance, but fighting on land was an obscure idea still.
The sudden offer was a surprise.
Instantly, both sets of eyes brightened considerably, frilled ears perking, and a delighted smile crossing her muzzle, briefly showing a flash of fang deeper in her muzzle, "Truly! You'd be willing to assist me!? I should warn you, I'm a bit of a fish out of water when it comes to fighting on land. I can handle myself well enough if the water, but a lot of those movements don't . . . translate well without that buoyancy." She warned with a laugh, before her expression shifted, more serious, more eager, "I would be delighted to accept your offer. Although, my bonded would warn you I'm rather headstrong and push myself even beyond my own limits when I should know to stop."
How many times, while practicing magic did she fall ill?
Especially in those earlier months, where she was struggling to push too much, too fast. Dizzy spells, sudden frosts, she still remembered when she accidentally tried boiling a small section of the swamp, or when she turned a patch of the ocean - only a foot or so in space - almost gelatinous. But progress had been progress, and it was what made her able to step into the new rule of Battlemage. Where she still struggled in fighting herself, her magic was more up to par. The conversation between the two was slowly building, and it was for that fact again, the mare was delighted. She was keen to make more friends, keen to make those connections, bonds, family. For someone who was forced to give it all up for what she believed was right, rather than follow her pod into the wrong . . .
She craved that sense of community again.
His words about his beloved were warming though. Her species, her people believed in such a strong bond between romantic partners, she herself had started to develop one when she was so much younger. The break of such a bond had been gut-wrenching, had taken years to heal, to mend the trauma it had caused when that bond had snapped, crumbled. It's what made the new situation with Sol so scary, so terrifying. A part of her heart was frozen, hesitating, afraid that just like Shard, Sol would find other duties, other things that he would choose over her. His role in Delumine. His devotion to Oriens. Being a new father . . . . any of it could have him turning his back, just like she failed bonded mate had done.
So it warmed her heart to hear someone speak so openly about their loved one.
"Sounds like he should be lucky he has you then. I think every grumpy sort needs their own reason to smile. And if the way you speak about him is anything to go by, I bet he loves you just as much." She stated with a laugh, a gentle shake of her head. Still, it caused a pang in her heart, remembering that desperate look in Sol's eyes as he proclaimed his love, the way he had waited so defeated for him to turn her down. She remembered that soft touch when she'd not done so. When she'd asked for a time when she wanted to think about it. That flare of hope in his gaze made her feel like fire running down her spine. Was that what she could have with Sol if she just gave in?
Why was she so scared to try?
Liam distracted her again, from her own thoughts, whether he knew it or not. A part of her was more grateful than she could express at the ability to sit back and not have to think about the decision she'd have to make. To just put it to the side for the moment, to instead have a comfortable conversation. At his gentle inquiry, she glanced his way, smiling faintly, "I suppose so. My people are nomadic, and I followed that same lifestyle for a while after leaving the pod. Going where the currents took me, seeing the tides, visiting different reefs. Not sure what had me decide to stay and make Novus home, but I don't regret that either. But I have definitely always been a bit of an explorer. I like seeing things I haven't seen before yet. New sites, forgotten secrets. That sort of thing. I've seen ruins and surprises deep in the ocean, hidden beneath the waters . . . Walking those long-lost streets beneath the waves was inspiring as a pup, er foal. And that was all it took. Now I'll drop anything for even the hint of ruins and forgotten sites." She admitted with a laugh.
When he spoke about the silence, she understood.
Her gaze turned back to the water, her gaze dropping to the ocean - but this time, in a particular distance, as if she could see all the way to the artic waters where the pod was likely shivering in tight confines. "My mother died when I was young, about two or so now I think, oh, it was so long ago . . . A shark attack from nowhere. Took my mother, and shredded my sister's fluke, who was only a few months old. When the Pod, when the stallion I was courting; made us abandon her on the ice . . . Broke my heart. I left the Pod two days later, but by the time I got back to where I had last seen my sister she was gone . . . I was utterly alone for almost two years before finding my way to Novus . . . Two years . . . ." Her voice had softened, as if not quite believing the time herself. She glanced up at Liam, her expression almost vulnerable, "I can't do the silence either. To be surrounded by others . . . . to be in a place meant to have so much going on, so much interaction, laughter, life . . . and for it to just be . . . . " Her gaze returned to the sea. "No, I agree with you completely."
His sudden start to the question had her turning back to him.
She couldn't help it, she snorted, a slight laugh, that warmed her features again, grinning wryly, "Both?" She offered, grinning a bit brighter, "My species aren't of this planet. We are called Vapor Treaders. Made to be the guardians of an oceanic world. Our creator, the Empress; wanted something that could protect the waters both above and below sea level. So we have forms that allow us to live in both. Legs, and fins; lungs and gills." She explained patiently, her gaze brightening in obvious pride. "I'd be happy to answer any questions, really, I know I'm not the norm around these parts." She laughed, she couldn't help it, "One thing I can promise, I'm not related to Kelpies or the likes. The only meat I eat is fish." She added, still grinning in obvious amusement at the question she got so often.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: <3 I love Liam
Perhaps it was the casual interactions, the relaxing atmosphere, the way defenses were falling. For the mare who gave Terrastella everything, it was always a moment of delight to begin forming connections with other members. To build those relationships. It made her feel less like an outsider, more like Dusk Court could really be her new pod, with members that were like family. It was helping to heal the scars on her own heart from her birthplace. She tilted her head, her smile almost sad, gaze watching the flow of the water, "Water is odd like that. Healing in one breath, and harmful in another." She commented softly, her eyes focused only on the water. "Where I come from, we're taught that from a young age. The water gives us life, but it can take it too." Tilting her head to the side, she glances at him finally.
The soft, sad smile is still present, but it warms slightly.
"But the ocean is forgiving. Renewing. But to those who forget the beauty of her caps can also be danger will be struck with ire. Beautiful, but powerful, and only by respecting the power, will you find yourself breathing the water, instead of drowning in it." She shakes her head briefly, the thoughts, the old words of her people that were ringing through her mind clearing slightly. "Of course, I imagine it's a lot more dangerous for those who can't actually breathe water. But the sentiment is still the same. Always beautiful, but caution is not so silly to maintain."
It was odd for her, realizing how far she'd come.
Her first steps on land had been halting, awkward as she came to grow her 'land legs' as she'd humored it, having to remember how to walk on terrain that wasn't ice and snow. But more than that, there was so much she could see, she could hear as she interacted. Coming from her people, with their own sayings and methodology, she was adapting well. While some 'fishy phrases' slipped out from time, and time again; she was finding it a lot more easy to communicate, to express herself in ways others could understand more. But, still kept her connected to her roots, and with her acknowledgment of the old ways; her connection to her roots, to where her people came from was even stronger now.
She wasn't just a creature of the sea.
She was meant to be a guardian of it . . . or rather the sea of another world. But there was a lot about those facts she kept locked away in her own head, she didn't want to share all the details with others unless that other was her sister . . . or Sol. She told Sol a lot . . . Which was another big reason she was at those cliffs, sorting out those thoughts, those worries. But they were secrets of hers to keep, and for that same reason, she didn't probe the stallion for a deeper understanding of his words, his thoughts. If he wanted to share, he would. Simple as that.
There was a movement.
She glanced his way again when he spoke, and where the male may have shifted so subtly from the ocean spray, the mare was almost basking in it, feeling the water, the salt lightly hydrates her skin and water-resistant fur, feeling that familiar spray that made her miss diving freely. The stallion's words had her thoughtful, and she frowned slightly, "I would imagine, had he fallen ill, wouldn't an attendant have alerted a medic? We would still have gotten a notice, an update." He'd have said something about missing their meetings, right? Her training was falling to the wayside. Her magic training was going well with her companion's assistance, but fighting on land was an obscure idea still.
The sudden offer was a surprise.
Instantly, both sets of eyes brightened considerably, frilled ears perking, and a delighted smile crossing her muzzle, briefly showing a flash of fang deeper in her muzzle, "Truly! You'd be willing to assist me!? I should warn you, I'm a bit of a fish out of water when it comes to fighting on land. I can handle myself well enough if the water, but a lot of those movements don't . . . translate well without that buoyancy." She warned with a laugh, before her expression shifted, more serious, more eager, "I would be delighted to accept your offer. Although, my bonded would warn you I'm rather headstrong and push myself even beyond my own limits when I should know to stop."
How many times, while practicing magic did she fall ill?
Especially in those earlier months, where she was struggling to push too much, too fast. Dizzy spells, sudden frosts, she still remembered when she accidentally tried boiling a small section of the swamp, or when she turned a patch of the ocean - only a foot or so in space - almost gelatinous. But progress had been progress, and it was what made her able to step into the new rule of Battlemage. Where she still struggled in fighting herself, her magic was more up to par. The conversation between the two was slowly building, and it was for that fact again, the mare was delighted. She was keen to make more friends, keen to make those connections, bonds, family. For someone who was forced to give it all up for what she believed was right, rather than follow her pod into the wrong . . .
She craved that sense of community again.
His words about his beloved were warming though. Her species, her people believed in such a strong bond between romantic partners, she herself had started to develop one when she was so much younger. The break of such a bond had been gut-wrenching, had taken years to heal, to mend the trauma it had caused when that bond had snapped, crumbled. It's what made the new situation with Sol so scary, so terrifying. A part of her heart was frozen, hesitating, afraid that just like Shard, Sol would find other duties, other things that he would choose over her. His role in Delumine. His devotion to Oriens. Being a new father . . . . any of it could have him turning his back, just like she failed bonded mate had done.
So it warmed her heart to hear someone speak so openly about their loved one.
"Sounds like he should be lucky he has you then. I think every grumpy sort needs their own reason to smile. And if the way you speak about him is anything to go by, I bet he loves you just as much." She stated with a laugh, a gentle shake of her head. Still, it caused a pang in her heart, remembering that desperate look in Sol's eyes as he proclaimed his love, the way he had waited so defeated for him to turn her down. She remembered that soft touch when she'd not done so. When she'd asked for a time when she wanted to think about it. That flare of hope in his gaze made her feel like fire running down her spine. Was that what she could have with Sol if she just gave in?
Why was she so scared to try?
Liam distracted her again, from her own thoughts, whether he knew it or not. A part of her was more grateful than she could express at the ability to sit back and not have to think about the decision she'd have to make. To just put it to the side for the moment, to instead have a comfortable conversation. At his gentle inquiry, she glanced his way, smiling faintly, "I suppose so. My people are nomadic, and I followed that same lifestyle for a while after leaving the pod. Going where the currents took me, seeing the tides, visiting different reefs. Not sure what had me decide to stay and make Novus home, but I don't regret that either. But I have definitely always been a bit of an explorer. I like seeing things I haven't seen before yet. New sites, forgotten secrets. That sort of thing. I've seen ruins and surprises deep in the ocean, hidden beneath the waters . . . Walking those long-lost streets beneath the waves was inspiring as a pup, er foal. And that was all it took. Now I'll drop anything for even the hint of ruins and forgotten sites." She admitted with a laugh.
When he spoke about the silence, she understood.
Her gaze turned back to the water, her gaze dropping to the ocean - but this time, in a particular distance, as if she could see all the way to the artic waters where the pod was likely shivering in tight confines. "My mother died when I was young, about two or so now I think, oh, it was so long ago . . . A shark attack from nowhere. Took my mother, and shredded my sister's fluke, who was only a few months old. When the Pod, when the stallion I was courting; made us abandon her on the ice . . . Broke my heart. I left the Pod two days later, but by the time I got back to where I had last seen my sister she was gone . . . I was utterly alone for almost two years before finding my way to Novus . . . Two years . . . ." Her voice had softened, as if not quite believing the time herself. She glanced up at Liam, her expression almost vulnerable, "I can't do the silence either. To be surrounded by others . . . . to be in a place meant to have so much going on, so much interaction, laughter, life . . . and for it to just be . . . . " Her gaze returned to the sea. "No, I agree with you completely."
His sudden start to the question had her turning back to him.
She couldn't help it, she snorted, a slight laugh, that warmed her features again, grinning wryly, "Both?" She offered, grinning a bit brighter, "My species aren't of this planet. We are called Vapor Treaders. Made to be the guardians of an oceanic world. Our creator, the Empress; wanted something that could protect the waters both above and below sea level. So we have forms that allow us to live in both. Legs, and fins; lungs and gills." She explained patiently, her gaze brightening in obvious pride. "I'd be happy to answer any questions, really, I know I'm not the norm around these parts." She laughed, she couldn't help it, "One thing I can promise, I'm not related to Kelpies or the likes. The only meat I eat is fish." She added, still grinning in obvious amusement at the question she got so often.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: <3 I love Liam
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Liam - 01-23-2022
Liam Kenway
It was odd, Liam realized a beat too late, but the mare was attentive, quiet and an active listener.
It was incredibly nice.
Since arriving here all those months, years even, ago, Liam hadn't really interacted with the citizens of Terrastella, let alone the citizens of Novus. Normally, he'd be up in the activity, really leaping into the fray and doing what he could where he could. However, being separated from Bucky and from their lives together in Aklos seemed to really break the great captain's heart in a way that he hadn't realized, hadn't expected. But now, he was interacting more and building bonds, forging a life in Novus that he hadn't truly expected to have. Humming in an affirmative manner as Bel speaks, Liam huffs a soft chuckle gently as he watches the waves from where he stands. "You can say that again. The winter, though I loathe it, brings forth some of the prettiest things I've ever seen. Fresh snowfall, ice crystals holding tight to the tree branches, the way snow clings to the boughs and pine needles of trees," he reminisces, flicking an ear lightly as a fly buzzes near his head. Turning his gaze to Bel, he hums softly and nods in understanding. "It's always interesting to see how different cultures, how different ways of life learn and grow and are taught about the same aspects of life. How you and I were taught, for example, when we were young."
Huffing a gentle laugh, Liam shakes his head at what Bel said about the ocean. "Maybe it was what I was going through, or maybe it was something else entirely, but I don't think the ocean cares much for me," he responds, grinning to himself. "Let's just say that the score is ocean 1, Liam 0," he jokes, though there was a haunted look that crossed his face. It was a dark, tragic event that day that caused him to walk off the cliff into the waters below and stop fighting, but there had been something that brought him back, telling him that he wasn't allowed to give up that day. "When dealing with something as destructive and powerful as water, you absolutely need to give her all the respect she deserves," Liam points out, agreeing resolutely with the mare at his side.
Even now, it was weird and terrifying to be this near the water.
Legs trembled discreetly, and his heart raced in his chest, but the great captain refused to move from the spot on the cliff. The worst thoughts ran through his head, including where the cliff face would crumble beneath his hooves, plunging him to his death, but he pushed it aside as fast as it began to plague him, resolutely refusing to allow those fears to cause him to be afraid of the cliffs. After all, he was Liam Kenway, fearless leader of Agnosia's greatest army, the greatest captain in the history of the Agnosian kingdom. He'd taken down terrorist groups time after time, rescued Bucky not only once, but twice, and had also rescued the teammates he'd made in recent years, before Caeleste, before Aklos, before Novus.
Was being a leader, a captain, a ruler all he would know? All he was good for?
Days as Emperor in Caeleste were thrown to the forefront of his mind, and he thought he had been doing everything properly. He had been, and the situations surrounding his leaving weren't truly his fault. Things in Aklos were changing, and he needed to go back, help soothe things out. Of course, Bucky understood, and he thought everyone else he'd been close to in the days of Caeleste had understood, but— Kazi seemed to loathe him, hate him in all the worst possible ways.
It hurt. Deeply.
The ocean spray was nice, sure, but Liam still had an aversion to it, especially after what had happened in Caeleste that day. The day his ex-boyfriend had— Stopping those thoughts once more, Liam turned his large, refined head toward Bel again, an ear flicking backward. "You would think that, wouldn't you? Maybe he asked for his condition to be kept on the downlow, to not have anything said to his citizens. You know how rumors spread, how panic ensues when people think the worst," he responds carefully, turning his gaze back out to the ocean, watching the waves with a silent curiosity. Power, raw and wild — untameable, even — crashed into the cliffside, only to recede back away, a cycle of repeating that had happened for millions of years.
He spoke before he realized what he was saying.
But when he saw the delighted expression on Bel's face, Liam found that he couldn't take his offer back. Not that he wanted to, anyway. Grinning, the stallion nodded, and he huffed good-naturedly. "I'd love to. After all, I was a captain of an army back in my homeworld, and I'm captain of the military again here. I don't know everything, as I'm still learning, but I feel like I know enough to be able to teach you," he offers, chuckling softly at Bel's explanation before he nods in understanding. "Believe me, I understand. Before I became the horse you see today, I was sort of like you in the fact I couldn't hold my own. It— took a long time before I could hold my own ground," he explained, frowning to himself slightly at how he avoided talking about his genetic experimentation. He wasn't sure how others would take it or even if they would understand it, so he avoided talking about it. Chuckling once more, he eyed Bel and grinned. "Bucky would say the same thing about me. When I was younger, I stood up against bullies twice the size of me and routinely got my ass kicked."
How many times had he ended up with a bruised ego, bruised and broken body, bloodied nose? More times than he could count.
There had been a specific time in an alleyway when he'd tried to stand up against a bully who was talking badly about the stallions going off to war for Agnosia. Liam had, of course, been just barely half the size of the horse who was beating him up, but Bucky had come around just in time and had defended him like always. It had taken him a long time to realize his feelings, but he had, and he almost lost the other stallion to enemy hands. At one point, Liam thought he did lose Bucky, but they found each other in Caeleste again, of all places. It was slow going, their relationship, but Liam was just enjoying the ride, cherishing the small moments, loving the quiet time they spent together.
The loss of Bucky while they'd been serving in the military nearly ended Liam's military career, and had nearly ended his life. But the other stallions serving under him encouraged him to continue on, and had even encouraged him to fight in Bucky's honor. It'd taken a lot of conjoling, but it'd worked. Fighting with a fervor and a rapidly expanding anger that he had never felt before or since, Liam had done what he needed to do, and during some nights, he could still hear the screams of agony from the enemy fighters, tearing him out of the nightmares and back in his bed, drenched in sweat and panting from the fear he'd just been fighting in his nightmares.
"I think I'm the lucky one. He keeps me sane, keeps me safe, and kept me alive when I was young and sick," Liam admits quietly, looking at the ground between his hooves. Had he ever thanked Bucky for giving up so much for him? Had he taken it all for granted? The pain of knowing he possibly never told Bucky how thankful he was for the other stallion weighed heavily on Liam's mind. The guilt gnawed at him, ate him alive. The fear Bucky had been showing on the train that fateful day when their lives had been torn apart, the scream wrenched from the dark stallion's throat as he fell in the ravine, away from Liam, away from safety. It reverberated in Liam's head over and over and over again, and the great captain had never once stopped to thank Bucky for all he'd done — not that he could remember, anyway.
Liam desperately needed to.
The conversation with Bel allowed him to really think about things, about how he could change things for the better, and make his affections for Bucky known. A part of him wanted to keep the memories, the nightmares, the feelings, and the emotions all hidden behind some steel door and throw away the key, but he knew that that wasn't the right way to handle things. This conversation was nice, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conversation like this. "Living that way isn't necessarily a bad thing. After I left Agnosia — my homeworld — and the army there, I was nomadic for a long time. Did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and while I appreciate that time because it shaped me into the horse I am today, I missed my friends and I missed the people of Agnosia. I wouldn't take those days back, but I wish I had taken up the offer from my friends to have them travel with me," he admits, shrugging his shoulders. If he didn't have everyone, he wished he could have taken Hawkeye and Natasha with him at the very least. But he hadn't, only answering their questions with I have to do this, I can't take anyone with me. "I think Bucky is tired of moving. I also think he wants to kick my head in whenever I find myself antsy and wanting to move around," he jokes, a fond expression on his face.
There was silence stretching between them, and Liam carefully lowered himself to the ground to lay beside her, his muzzle gently touching her shoulder. It was the least he could do, but it mainly served the purpose to let her know that he was there for her. Quietly, he listened, his gaze focused solely on her. Gone was the rest of the world, even the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliffside. He listened to how her mom passed away, how her sister had been left behind to fend for herself, how the stallion courting Bel at the time made the pod abandon Bel's sister on the ice. Fury bubbled in his gut, hot and vicious, at her pod, at the stallion, but he didn't let his expression change, and he didn't let Bel know what thoughts were going through his mind. "I'm so sorry that that happened, Bel. I know how hard it is to lose one's mother. My own mother passed away when I was a yearling, but she had been sick from the day I turned six months old. I watched her take her last breath, and had to watch her slowly deteriorate to the point where we couldn't walk very far before she became too tired and weak to move. As for your sister, I hope nothing befell her, and she was able to recover and find her way back to you. It's not easy, losing a sibling. That I wouldn't know; I'm an only child, and my father passed away before I was born," he murmured, his gaze soft as he regarded Bel. He saw the way her expression was vulnerable, and carefully, he attempted to drag her into his chest, the movement reassuring, a hug, a way to try and let her know that he was here for her. "Silence often brings with it the horrors of the world that I lived with before Novus. I need some kind of activity, some kind of noise to keep it all at bay."
There was a slight laugh at his question, and he ducked his head a little before blushing slightly. "Uh, forgive me, but what are Kelpies? You have to understand; in Agnosia, we didn't have horses living underwater, but we had a couple who could fly. Those were the rarities, only a few select lines had those mutations and adaptations. So, it's a bit of a startling realization that there are horses that, you know, live under the water and the like," he explained, almost embarrassed.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT (and the long reply sob)
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 2069
It was incredibly nice.
Since arriving here all those months, years even, ago, Liam hadn't really interacted with the citizens of Terrastella, let alone the citizens of Novus. Normally, he'd be up in the activity, really leaping into the fray and doing what he could where he could. However, being separated from Bucky and from their lives together in Aklos seemed to really break the great captain's heart in a way that he hadn't realized, hadn't expected. But now, he was interacting more and building bonds, forging a life in Novus that he hadn't truly expected to have. Humming in an affirmative manner as Bel speaks, Liam huffs a soft chuckle gently as he watches the waves from where he stands. "You can say that again. The winter, though I loathe it, brings forth some of the prettiest things I've ever seen. Fresh snowfall, ice crystals holding tight to the tree branches, the way snow clings to the boughs and pine needles of trees," he reminisces, flicking an ear lightly as a fly buzzes near his head. Turning his gaze to Bel, he hums softly and nods in understanding. "It's always interesting to see how different cultures, how different ways of life learn and grow and are taught about the same aspects of life. How you and I were taught, for example, when we were young."
Huffing a gentle laugh, Liam shakes his head at what Bel said about the ocean. "Maybe it was what I was going through, or maybe it was something else entirely, but I don't think the ocean cares much for me," he responds, grinning to himself. "Let's just say that the score is ocean 1, Liam 0," he jokes, though there was a haunted look that crossed his face. It was a dark, tragic event that day that caused him to walk off the cliff into the waters below and stop fighting, but there had been something that brought him back, telling him that he wasn't allowed to give up that day. "When dealing with something as destructive and powerful as water, you absolutely need to give her all the respect she deserves," Liam points out, agreeing resolutely with the mare at his side.
Even now, it was weird and terrifying to be this near the water.
Legs trembled discreetly, and his heart raced in his chest, but the great captain refused to move from the spot on the cliff. The worst thoughts ran through his head, including where the cliff face would crumble beneath his hooves, plunging him to his death, but he pushed it aside as fast as it began to plague him, resolutely refusing to allow those fears to cause him to be afraid of the cliffs. After all, he was Liam Kenway, fearless leader of Agnosia's greatest army, the greatest captain in the history of the Agnosian kingdom. He'd taken down terrorist groups time after time, rescued Bucky not only once, but twice, and had also rescued the teammates he'd made in recent years, before Caeleste, before Aklos, before Novus.
Was being a leader, a captain, a ruler all he would know? All he was good for?
Days as Emperor in Caeleste were thrown to the forefront of his mind, and he thought he had been doing everything properly. He had been, and the situations surrounding his leaving weren't truly his fault. Things in Aklos were changing, and he needed to go back, help soothe things out. Of course, Bucky understood, and he thought everyone else he'd been close to in the days of Caeleste had understood, but— Kazi seemed to loathe him, hate him in all the worst possible ways.
It hurt. Deeply.
The ocean spray was nice, sure, but Liam still had an aversion to it, especially after what had happened in Caeleste that day. The day his ex-boyfriend had— Stopping those thoughts once more, Liam turned his large, refined head toward Bel again, an ear flicking backward. "You would think that, wouldn't you? Maybe he asked for his condition to be kept on the downlow, to not have anything said to his citizens. You know how rumors spread, how panic ensues when people think the worst," he responds carefully, turning his gaze back out to the ocean, watching the waves with a silent curiosity. Power, raw and wild — untameable, even — crashed into the cliffside, only to recede back away, a cycle of repeating that had happened for millions of years.
He spoke before he realized what he was saying.
But when he saw the delighted expression on Bel's face, Liam found that he couldn't take his offer back. Not that he wanted to, anyway. Grinning, the stallion nodded, and he huffed good-naturedly. "I'd love to. After all, I was a captain of an army back in my homeworld, and I'm captain of the military again here. I don't know everything, as I'm still learning, but I feel like I know enough to be able to teach you," he offers, chuckling softly at Bel's explanation before he nods in understanding. "Believe me, I understand. Before I became the horse you see today, I was sort of like you in the fact I couldn't hold my own. It— took a long time before I could hold my own ground," he explained, frowning to himself slightly at how he avoided talking about his genetic experimentation. He wasn't sure how others would take it or even if they would understand it, so he avoided talking about it. Chuckling once more, he eyed Bel and grinned. "Bucky would say the same thing about me. When I was younger, I stood up against bullies twice the size of me and routinely got my ass kicked."
How many times had he ended up with a bruised ego, bruised and broken body, bloodied nose? More times than he could count.
There had been a specific time in an alleyway when he'd tried to stand up against a bully who was talking badly about the stallions going off to war for Agnosia. Liam had, of course, been just barely half the size of the horse who was beating him up, but Bucky had come around just in time and had defended him like always. It had taken him a long time to realize his feelings, but he had, and he almost lost the other stallion to enemy hands. At one point, Liam thought he did lose Bucky, but they found each other in Caeleste again, of all places. It was slow going, their relationship, but Liam was just enjoying the ride, cherishing the small moments, loving the quiet time they spent together.
The loss of Bucky while they'd been serving in the military nearly ended Liam's military career, and had nearly ended his life. But the other stallions serving under him encouraged him to continue on, and had even encouraged him to fight in Bucky's honor. It'd taken a lot of conjoling, but it'd worked. Fighting with a fervor and a rapidly expanding anger that he had never felt before or since, Liam had done what he needed to do, and during some nights, he could still hear the screams of agony from the enemy fighters, tearing him out of the nightmares and back in his bed, drenched in sweat and panting from the fear he'd just been fighting in his nightmares.
"I think I'm the lucky one. He keeps me sane, keeps me safe, and kept me alive when I was young and sick," Liam admits quietly, looking at the ground between his hooves. Had he ever thanked Bucky for giving up so much for him? Had he taken it all for granted? The pain of knowing he possibly never told Bucky how thankful he was for the other stallion weighed heavily on Liam's mind. The guilt gnawed at him, ate him alive. The fear Bucky had been showing on the train that fateful day when their lives had been torn apart, the scream wrenched from the dark stallion's throat as he fell in the ravine, away from Liam, away from safety. It reverberated in Liam's head over and over and over again, and the great captain had never once stopped to thank Bucky for all he'd done — not that he could remember, anyway.
Liam desperately needed to.
The conversation with Bel allowed him to really think about things, about how he could change things for the better, and make his affections for Bucky known. A part of him wanted to keep the memories, the nightmares, the feelings, and the emotions all hidden behind some steel door and throw away the key, but he knew that that wasn't the right way to handle things. This conversation was nice, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conversation like this. "Living that way isn't necessarily a bad thing. After I left Agnosia — my homeworld — and the army there, I was nomadic for a long time. Did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and while I appreciate that time because it shaped me into the horse I am today, I missed my friends and I missed the people of Agnosia. I wouldn't take those days back, but I wish I had taken up the offer from my friends to have them travel with me," he admits, shrugging his shoulders. If he didn't have everyone, he wished he could have taken Hawkeye and Natasha with him at the very least. But he hadn't, only answering their questions with I have to do this, I can't take anyone with me. "I think Bucky is tired of moving. I also think he wants to kick my head in whenever I find myself antsy and wanting to move around," he jokes, a fond expression on his face.
There was silence stretching between them, and Liam carefully lowered himself to the ground to lay beside her, his muzzle gently touching her shoulder. It was the least he could do, but it mainly served the purpose to let her know that he was there for her. Quietly, he listened, his gaze focused solely on her. Gone was the rest of the world, even the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliffside. He listened to how her mom passed away, how her sister had been left behind to fend for herself, how the stallion courting Bel at the time made the pod abandon Bel's sister on the ice. Fury bubbled in his gut, hot and vicious, at her pod, at the stallion, but he didn't let his expression change, and he didn't let Bel know what thoughts were going through his mind. "I'm so sorry that that happened, Bel. I know how hard it is to lose one's mother. My own mother passed away when I was a yearling, but she had been sick from the day I turned six months old. I watched her take her last breath, and had to watch her slowly deteriorate to the point where we couldn't walk very far before she became too tired and weak to move. As for your sister, I hope nothing befell her, and she was able to recover and find her way back to you. It's not easy, losing a sibling. That I wouldn't know; I'm an only child, and my father passed away before I was born," he murmured, his gaze soft as he regarded Bel. He saw the way her expression was vulnerable, and carefully, he attempted to drag her into his chest, the movement reassuring, a hug, a way to try and let her know that he was here for her. "Silence often brings with it the horrors of the world that I lived with before Novus. I need some kind of activity, some kind of noise to keep it all at bay."
There was a slight laugh at his question, and he ducked his head a little before blushing slightly. "Uh, forgive me, but what are Kelpies? You have to understand; in Agnosia, we didn't have horses living underwater, but we had a couple who could fly. Those were the rarities, only a few select lines had those mutations and adaptations. So, it's a bit of a startling realization that there are horses that, you know, live under the water and the like," he explained, almost embarrassed.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT (and the long reply sob)
Tag;; @Below Zero
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 2069
I'm with you till the end of the line
RE: If tomorrow was too late - Below Zero - 02-22-2022
B e l o w Z e r o
and tomorrow was too late
could you say 'goodbye' to yesterday?
would you live each moment like your last?
Bel lay in peace, her dual gaze on the stallion.
It was an easy, companionable space they were developing, and after her more isolating ways of late (really she limited herself to the swamp and Sol, it was nice to make peace with another. She also knew that in large part, her own recent struggles on the relationship front had played a part in her distance as well. It didn't make her an unfamiliar form in Novus, particularly in Terrastella, many were aware now who she was, and more importantly what she was not. But it was still nice to just sit, talk and not have to worry about making decisions that would affect the rest of her life, her future.
She does smile when he speaks of winter.
Her gaze returns towards the sea, but this time it looks further out. "Wintere here in Novus is definitely lovely. But . . . while the snowfall and ice here is beautiful, where I originally come from, it takes your breath away. The ice grows in sheets so high, they're like cliffs of iridiscent gems, glittering as the sun is reflected off of it. White as far as the eye can see, floating effortlessly over the water. And beneath the waters, the world is alive with life that seems to glow, much as I do beneath the night sky. It takes your breath away, and holds it ransom until you learn to admire and love the beauty of the cold."
She almost misses it sometimes.
At the talk of cultures, her smile drops, turns sadder, "Not all cultures are right, not all ways were were raised should be followed. There are many different ways to grow, and mature. But my people go about it wrong. Life is no longer treasured, but merely a means to keep population up. The ill are no longer cared for, instead tossed out as a sickness to the strength of the Pod. I hope you never have to discover first had, the kind of unforgiving culture the kind my people developed is." Her gaze suddenly brightens, "But . . . the people my pod came from. Their culture was so rich, so diverse, so colorful, I am honor-bound to see it's return."
To see the way Treaders were meant to be, come back.
Liam laughs, and she is brought back to the present, grinning at the idea of the ocean not caring for him, that the score is 1 to- in favor of the water. But the look to his features has her gently reaching out, her expression reassuring, "Well, I promise, should the ocean ever attempt to increase it's advantage on you, I'll wrestle it into submission." With a wink, she looks back towards the water, "I've learned, while the ocean may not like being controlled . . . . if you're patient, the control comes from direction, not from force." As she says this, sprouts of water arc up in jets from the ocean, arcing along the curve of the natural array, taking shape of aquatic fish that leap through the air before rejoining the water below. Subtle magic that requires little thought on her part at this point. "But, while the ocean can be dangerous, can be cruel, it is a healing force, and gives as much as it takes."
She glances back towards him, and with his words, she can now see the actions.
The slight tremble to his limbs, the way his eyes watch the edges. "If you always expect the worst, look for the dangers. You forget to see the beauty." She states, before nudging his shoulder and pointing out to a distance where a pod of dolphins could be spotted, passing through, the youthful young dancing and jumping beside their mothers, wild and free and beautiful. "I won't ask what the ocean has done to make you tremble, but I do swear, as long as I stand in Terrastella, the ocean will never claim one of our own to it's depths." Even as she makes the oath, there's a slight sheen of cyan glow to her eyes, betraying the seriousness of her dedication. Because, she may love the ocean, but she knew better than most the dangerous that lived deep with. The creatures that hunted in it, the currents that consumed from with in it. She knew the dangers, most certainly.
The talk of their missing sovereign sobered Bel quickly.
She sighed, "I don't know what to think anymore." She admitted sadly, with a soft shake of her head, before she turned towards him at the option to continue to learn to properly be a soldier, not just a magic weilder. Her gaze was delighted, nodding wildly, "That would be amazing! I look forward to learning from you then~ I am certain you'll know just how to help me - well, except for the part of accounting for the parts of my anatomy you do not have." She muses, thwacking her tail against the ground playfully.
She is lightened by the talk of his friend.
This individual who grounds him so thoroughly, fills his heart so full. But there's a pang in her heart, uncertainty welling up again. Of knowing that she was so close to Sol, afraid to take those steps to bind them closer together. Worried about what it could mean. She remembered that time apart after they had found. How desperate she was to see him, how he had never come. How they had fought so violently when he finally did. How afraid she was that he would leave and never return. How she was still afraid of this. That he would one day realize that she wasn't what he wanted, what he needed. He'd grow distant, cold, forget about her. And when the time came, he'd leave her behind.
Can your heart survive being broken twice?
She distracts herself with Liam's story, ears perking when he spoke of his homeworld. Of those who shaped him, friends and people he miss. His touch startles her, and she glances back, before she finally spoke, it came tumbling free, her history, where she'd come from, the abandonment of her sister. "I'm not so angry about things any more . . . but, after losing everything I knew . . . She sighed, shaking her head, her gaze returning to the sea, "I guess I keep waiting for the day Sol leaves too." The words spoken were the first time she's admitted that worry that kept holding her back from accepting the courtship. But she doesn't elaborate, turning her gaze back to her new found friend, "I'm so sorry you had to experience that . . . It's nothing . . . nothing easy to move past. Watching them being stolen from you, in front of you." She admitted, before softening her smile at her sister, "Pol is well now. She lives in Denocte . . . it's been . . . hard reconnecting. But we are trying."
She does startle when he asks about Kelpies.
This time she can't help but laugh, and smiled kindly, "They're beings that live in the water, they usually have two forms, one for in the water, one for out. But . . . ." Her smile drops, "They are not good, at least . . . not to the view of many others. They feast on the flesh of other equine. Lure them into the water where they may kill and eat their prey. I do not know if I could truly call them evil though. Can we really condemn another because they need to eat? But . . . I can condemn the way so many play with their victims. They are . . . not a pleasant sort."
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: She's just looking for a distracting conversation I think
It was an easy, companionable space they were developing, and after her more isolating ways of late (really she limited herself to the swamp and Sol, it was nice to make peace with another. She also knew that in large part, her own recent struggles on the relationship front had played a part in her distance as well. It didn't make her an unfamiliar form in Novus, particularly in Terrastella, many were aware now who she was, and more importantly what she was not. But it was still nice to just sit, talk and not have to worry about making decisions that would affect the rest of her life, her future.
She does smile when he speaks of winter.
Her gaze returns towards the sea, but this time it looks further out. "Wintere here in Novus is definitely lovely. But . . . while the snowfall and ice here is beautiful, where I originally come from, it takes your breath away. The ice grows in sheets so high, they're like cliffs of iridiscent gems, glittering as the sun is reflected off of it. White as far as the eye can see, floating effortlessly over the water. And beneath the waters, the world is alive with life that seems to glow, much as I do beneath the night sky. It takes your breath away, and holds it ransom until you learn to admire and love the beauty of the cold."
She almost misses it sometimes.
At the talk of cultures, her smile drops, turns sadder, "Not all cultures are right, not all ways were were raised should be followed. There are many different ways to grow, and mature. But my people go about it wrong. Life is no longer treasured, but merely a means to keep population up. The ill are no longer cared for, instead tossed out as a sickness to the strength of the Pod. I hope you never have to discover first had, the kind of unforgiving culture the kind my people developed is." Her gaze suddenly brightens, "But . . . the people my pod came from. Their culture was so rich, so diverse, so colorful, I am honor-bound to see it's return."
To see the way Treaders were meant to be, come back.
Liam laughs, and she is brought back to the present, grinning at the idea of the ocean not caring for him, that the score is 1 to- in favor of the water. But the look to his features has her gently reaching out, her expression reassuring, "Well, I promise, should the ocean ever attempt to increase it's advantage on you, I'll wrestle it into submission." With a wink, she looks back towards the water, "I've learned, while the ocean may not like being controlled . . . . if you're patient, the control comes from direction, not from force." As she says this, sprouts of water arc up in jets from the ocean, arcing along the curve of the natural array, taking shape of aquatic fish that leap through the air before rejoining the water below. Subtle magic that requires little thought on her part at this point. "But, while the ocean can be dangerous, can be cruel, it is a healing force, and gives as much as it takes."
She glances back towards him, and with his words, she can now see the actions.
The slight tremble to his limbs, the way his eyes watch the edges. "If you always expect the worst, look for the dangers. You forget to see the beauty." She states, before nudging his shoulder and pointing out to a distance where a pod of dolphins could be spotted, passing through, the youthful young dancing and jumping beside their mothers, wild and free and beautiful. "I won't ask what the ocean has done to make you tremble, but I do swear, as long as I stand in Terrastella, the ocean will never claim one of our own to it's depths." Even as she makes the oath, there's a slight sheen of cyan glow to her eyes, betraying the seriousness of her dedication. Because, she may love the ocean, but she knew better than most the dangerous that lived deep with. The creatures that hunted in it, the currents that consumed from with in it. She knew the dangers, most certainly.
The talk of their missing sovereign sobered Bel quickly.
She sighed, "I don't know what to think anymore." She admitted sadly, with a soft shake of her head, before she turned towards him at the option to continue to learn to properly be a soldier, not just a magic weilder. Her gaze was delighted, nodding wildly, "That would be amazing! I look forward to learning from you then~ I am certain you'll know just how to help me - well, except for the part of accounting for the parts of my anatomy you do not have." She muses, thwacking her tail against the ground playfully.
She is lightened by the talk of his friend.
This individual who grounds him so thoroughly, fills his heart so full. But there's a pang in her heart, uncertainty welling up again. Of knowing that she was so close to Sol, afraid to take those steps to bind them closer together. Worried about what it could mean. She remembered that time apart after they had found. How desperate she was to see him, how he had never come. How they had fought so violently when he finally did. How afraid she was that he would leave and never return. How she was still afraid of this. That he would one day realize that she wasn't what he wanted, what he needed. He'd grow distant, cold, forget about her. And when the time came, he'd leave her behind.
Can your heart survive being broken twice?
She distracts herself with Liam's story, ears perking when he spoke of his homeworld. Of those who shaped him, friends and people he miss. His touch startles her, and she glances back, before she finally spoke, it came tumbling free, her history, where she'd come from, the abandonment of her sister. "I'm not so angry about things any more . . . but, after losing everything I knew . . . She sighed, shaking her head, her gaze returning to the sea, "I guess I keep waiting for the day Sol leaves too." The words spoken were the first time she's admitted that worry that kept holding her back from accepting the courtship. But she doesn't elaborate, turning her gaze back to her new found friend, "I'm so sorry you had to experience that . . . It's nothing . . . nothing easy to move past. Watching them being stolen from you, in front of you." She admitted, before softening her smile at her sister, "Pol is well now. She lives in Denocte . . . it's been . . . hard reconnecting. But we are trying."
She does startle when he asks about Kelpies.
This time she can't help but laugh, and smiled kindly, "They're beings that live in the water, they usually have two forms, one for in the water, one for out. But . . . ." Her smile drops, "They are not good, at least . . . not to the view of many others. They feast on the flesh of other equine. Lure them into the water where they may kill and eat their prey. I do not know if I could truly call them evil though. Can we really condemn another because they need to eat? But . . . I can condemn the way so many play with their victims. They are . . . not a pleasant sort."
"Bel"
Yukime
@Liam
Notes:: She's just looking for a distracting conversation I think