The world was still unknown and foreign to the former soldier. Lost and astray, the stallion didn’t know where he stood. Was he still the same horse he’d been when he’d left Angosia? Was he still the same horse he’d been when he found Bucky both times previously? The uneasiness with which those questions settled in his mind frightened him; he was normally so sure of everything. He didn’t understand where his lack of steadfastness was coming from. Liam was typically one that knew what he wanted, how he wanted it, and when he wanted it. Now, though? He was just staring out at a vast ocean, unsure of who he was deep down, and where he was going, let alone where he was. His stomach rolled, bile burning the back of his throat as he continued to stand on the beach, the water still rushing on and around his ankles. It was funny, wasn’t it, how something so powerful, so majestic, could bring even the strongest of stallions or mares to their proverbial knees?
Ears flattened against his head again as he snorts in disgust at his own thoughts, the giant stallion turning away from what was once his solace. The beach, when he was a foal, was where he spent most of his time with Bucky, the two of them playing in the wild surf from sunup to nearly sundown, when Liam’s breathing was ragged and rattling, wet and dangerous. Still, he persisted and continued to play every day, more than once catching a cold that very nearly put him on his deathbed. All through it, though, remained Bucky, a steadfast constant, someone he could rely on, lean on, someone promised his whole world.
And then the train accident happened. Guilt still weighed heavily on his mind.
As Liam turned away from the beach, he watched as the sun crept up in the sky, the hidden vestiges of stars creeping away as the sunlight filtered through heavy clouds that didn’t show any signs of going away anytime soon. As it was, there were breaks in the clouds, which allowed the sunlight to peek through, though there weren’t much. It reminded Liam of the time that he and Bucky had snuck off in the middle of the night when the battalion that the chestnut stallion commanded had stopped for a rest. They stayed out all night, curled up in each other’s embrace, hidden from view, hidden from the world. The kingdom they served was very much up in arms about couples of the same gender, even though the king’s son himself was in a hidden relationship with another stallion. The whole kingdom knew; the king just ignored it, preached his beliefs, pretended his son was courting different mares. It was all a farce.
As Liam walked, lost in his own mind and memories, he completely overlooked the fact that there had been another in his vicinity. His eyes, nearly glazed over and unseeing, looked right past her, his sharply attuned ears not catching a single breath, a single hoofbeat, a breath, nothing. He truly was lost to the world, if for but a moment. It wasn’t until he heard her call out to him that he jerked to a stop, his eyes breaking free of their deadened look, surprise written over his face as he turned his head to look at her, brow creasing but for a fleeting moment before it was smoothed out again.
”It depends on what you mean by alright, miss,” he replied easily, gaze looking over her for a second before it returned to her face. She was pretty, decorated in different splashes of gold, porcelain, and mahogany tones. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, nearly matching that of a warm spring day. Her mane was two-toned, half white and half brown, while her tail was the same porcelain color as her coat. She was both feminine and masculine, a beautiful and wonderful contrast. She was every bit a force of nature, yet also delicate enough to break if not handled correctly. Or, so it seemed. Liam had once said the same about one of his dearest friends, and she turned out to be one of the deadliest assassins he’d ever had the pleasure of fighting beside. Three spirals were protruding from the mare’s forehead, and for a moment, Liam was transported back to Caeleste, back to his friendship with Quinn, how easily they’d gotten along. Guilt churned his stomach again before he stamped it down, refusing to go back to that time, refusing to think about it. He’d turned a page on that.
”And you, miss? Are you alright?” Liam inquired gently, audits pricking forward as he turned his large from so that he could face her head on. Muscles rolled and quivered under his copper pelt, rippling as he moved, making sure that the two of them could see both each other and anyone else potentially joining them. The mare in front of him seemed nice enough, but he knew better than to just assume that someone was nice. The mare before him parted her maw again to speak, but immediately closed it again, as if she was afraid to pose her next question, her next statement. A soft chuckle vibrated Liam’s throat as he watched her, flicking an ear before he sighed gently, casting a lonely gaze toward the ocean, his eyes flitting back to Noctii’s. ”Truth be told, I’m missing someone, someone I love very much. He’s not dead, but he’s missing and I’m having a hard time with understanding where he is or what has happened to him. I’m only hoping that he’ll appear here.” Speaking of, where was here? Frowning, he shifted his weight, glancing behind Noctii before looking at her again. ”Speaking of… Where exactly is here? What is this world called?” Oh, how he must have looked a fool.
Notes;; Oh god, the word vomit happened <3
Tag;; @Noctiilucent
Voice Claim: Chris Evans
Words;; 1034
by masking it with a cause
