B e l o w Z e r o
this strife, it dies, this life and these lies
and these lungs have sung this song for too long
and it's true, i hurt to remember i loved you
It was easy, so easy. Just being with him.
It was like breathing, or swimming, or navigating the open ocean. Something she could do with her eyes closed, half asleep, in the middle of the night. It was just leading of her heart, a casual knowledge that told her when to say what, when to do what. As natural as breathing. It was this very ease that had made it so difficult to realize this could be so much more. She had also gotten so good at not looking deeper into it. TO not see that connection, to not be aware of what he meant to her, what this meant to her. What being so naturally easy to be together could amount to. She was blinded by how nice it was, that she forgot to see how perfect it could be with just that next push.
Her gaze was warm as she cuddled into him.
She'd never be able to express in words how glad she was that she had him now, that he had made her see, that he'd been patient enough to let her realize, to give her the strength to let herself try. He might not know it, but it had always been he, himself; that made her take those steps. He gave her, her strength. So perhaps that's why she shook her head at his words, her smile gently as she pressed her face into his neck, snorting softly, as she leaned into his warmth, "Don't be stupid, Sol. The sins of your past have never defined you. You worked so hard to move past that. You, yourself, proved that you deserve a future, a brighter one." She relaxed into that very warmth that could seemingly remove all of her tension. "Guess I could just see something in you no one else could . . . ." She murmured softly, eyes closing as she snuggled up to him, "Better for me." She added a slightly cheeky grin.
She tilted her head, glancing up when he spoke again.
Both sets of her eyes watched him, feeling her own heart skip a beat or two, that fluttering of butterflies coming alive in her stomach. She smiled so softly, so warmly as she looked up at him, "I don't think I ever realized this is what this was like either . . ." She admitted, relaxing against him as her eyes slid shut, the casual demonstration of trust in him that allowed her to relax so fully, "With Shard," The words came easier this time, no halting at his name, no stuttering, no pained expression, "it felt like I was always second. He would make the most stupid excuses. The council wanted him to check the south side of the pod, He had a meeting with the council that ran late. He was Triton, and I should just accept that protecting the pod was important." She sighed, a shake of her head, "I'd assumed that courtship, that relationships were just meant to be lonely . . . I hate it. Waiting in bed by myself, wondering if he'd come home any time soon, before giving up and falling asleep in the kelp by myself. He was always gone before I woke up too."
Her eyes opened, her muzzle reaching up to Sol's, nuzzling his jaw.
"This, this between us; it's so much more real than that. It's like being a pup again, chasing seahorses through the coral. Light, carefree, easy . . . Being with you is just easy. And that's a treasure worth more than all the gold in the oceans." She would never be able to express in words how grateful she was for him too. He was rejuvenating her, day by day, date by date; he was proving this decision was a good one. He was proving that this was what she wanted, the right decision to make. Calling him to the cliff today, to tell him yes . . . To tell him they could try . . it was the best idea she'd had yet.
Novus was healing the wounds of her pod, surely.
Coming to this land had given her so much. Terrastella was her pod now, a family with members she cared for so deeply. From Liam, who had stepped up to Sovereign, who was breathing new life into the Courts. Then Pol, being alive, being here; so close she could reach out and touch her, she could embrace her, mend ties. And now, it had given her Sol . . . and the little filly he came with as a two-part package. She couldn't help it, the smile his words caused, even as she glanced up at him, at the casual acknowledgment that he already viewed them, the three of them; as a family. Family. Her heart contracted, falling just a little more. He always could paint things so wonderfully.
Of course, all days come to an end.
At her question, he finally seemed to take stock of how long they'd been together, and she had to laugh at his reluctance, even when he admitted that Jiri would need to be attended to shortly. She brushed her muzzle through his mane, the touch gentle, the same motion of reassurance she'd have used to pet down a fin on one of her own people before she pulled herself to her feet, "Up, you silly stallion. We have lifetimes ahead of us. But Jiri needs you now." She briefly pressed her forehead to his one last time, her eyes closing, breathing in the scent that was all him, the scent that clung to her after spending so much time pressed into his side. "I have plans tomorrow." She started, as she pulled away, gaze soft, warm, "But perhaps soon, we can take Jiri to the beach?" She offered with a warm grin, even as Yuki used her fluke to crawl up to her spine, "Let me know your availability?" She suggested, already feeling the pang in her heart about leaving, surprised by how hard it was now to walk away, to say goodbye.
But, Jiri needed him too.
And she needed to get Yuki back to the swamp, and she'd need to wind down her day as well, for her early start the next, while she went through her training as a battlemage. "I'll see you again before you know it." She promised, her grin playful, teasing before she repeated those words she'd only just been able to say, "Love you." And she pressed her cheek to his one last time, before turning to head home, since she knew it'd be easier for her to leave, than for him. And, if she was honest, the admission still embarrassed her enough to feel like a silly little foal.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Sol Bestiam
Notes:: Doing a closer now <3 haha. Might be a bit before we can do another thread. I wanna keep my thread count low for a little bit, as I come up on midterms and Kim's wedding the next few weeks <3
It was like breathing, or swimming, or navigating the open ocean. Something she could do with her eyes closed, half asleep, in the middle of the night. It was just leading of her heart, a casual knowledge that told her when to say what, when to do what. As natural as breathing. It was this very ease that had made it so difficult to realize this could be so much more. She had also gotten so good at not looking deeper into it. TO not see that connection, to not be aware of what he meant to her, what this meant to her. What being so naturally easy to be together could amount to. She was blinded by how nice it was, that she forgot to see how perfect it could be with just that next push.
Her gaze was warm as she cuddled into him.
She'd never be able to express in words how glad she was that she had him now, that he had made her see, that he'd been patient enough to let her realize, to give her the strength to let herself try. He might not know it, but it had always been he, himself; that made her take those steps. He gave her, her strength. So perhaps that's why she shook her head at his words, her smile gently as she pressed her face into his neck, snorting softly, as she leaned into his warmth, "Don't be stupid, Sol. The sins of your past have never defined you. You worked so hard to move past that. You, yourself, proved that you deserve a future, a brighter one." She relaxed into that very warmth that could seemingly remove all of her tension. "Guess I could just see something in you no one else could . . . ." She murmured softly, eyes closing as she snuggled up to him, "Better for me." She added a slightly cheeky grin.
She tilted her head, glancing up when he spoke again.
Both sets of her eyes watched him, feeling her own heart skip a beat or two, that fluttering of butterflies coming alive in her stomach. She smiled so softly, so warmly as she looked up at him, "I don't think I ever realized this is what this was like either . . ." She admitted, relaxing against him as her eyes slid shut, the casual demonstration of trust in him that allowed her to relax so fully, "With Shard," The words came easier this time, no halting at his name, no stuttering, no pained expression, "it felt like I was always second. He would make the most stupid excuses. The council wanted him to check the south side of the pod, He had a meeting with the council that ran late. He was Triton, and I should just accept that protecting the pod was important." She sighed, a shake of her head, "I'd assumed that courtship, that relationships were just meant to be lonely . . . I hate it. Waiting in bed by myself, wondering if he'd come home any time soon, before giving up and falling asleep in the kelp by myself. He was always gone before I woke up too."
Her eyes opened, her muzzle reaching up to Sol's, nuzzling his jaw.
"This, this between us; it's so much more real than that. It's like being a pup again, chasing seahorses through the coral. Light, carefree, easy . . . Being with you is just easy. And that's a treasure worth more than all the gold in the oceans." She would never be able to express in words how grateful she was for him too. He was rejuvenating her, day by day, date by date; he was proving this decision was a good one. He was proving that this was what she wanted, the right decision to make. Calling him to the cliff today, to tell him yes . . . To tell him they could try . . it was the best idea she'd had yet.
Novus was healing the wounds of her pod, surely.
Coming to this land had given her so much. Terrastella was her pod now, a family with members she cared for so deeply. From Liam, who had stepped up to Sovereign, who was breathing new life into the Courts. Then Pol, being alive, being here; so close she could reach out and touch her, she could embrace her, mend ties. And now, it had given her Sol . . . and the little filly he came with as a two-part package. She couldn't help it, the smile his words caused, even as she glanced up at him, at the casual acknowledgment that he already viewed them, the three of them; as a family. Family. Her heart contracted, falling just a little more. He always could paint things so wonderfully.
Of course, all days come to an end.
At her question, he finally seemed to take stock of how long they'd been together, and she had to laugh at his reluctance, even when he admitted that Jiri would need to be attended to shortly. She brushed her muzzle through his mane, the touch gentle, the same motion of reassurance she'd have used to pet down a fin on one of her own people before she pulled herself to her feet, "Up, you silly stallion. We have lifetimes ahead of us. But Jiri needs you now." She briefly pressed her forehead to his one last time, her eyes closing, breathing in the scent that was all him, the scent that clung to her after spending so much time pressed into his side. "I have plans tomorrow." She started, as she pulled away, gaze soft, warm, "But perhaps soon, we can take Jiri to the beach?" She offered with a warm grin, even as Yuki used her fluke to crawl up to her spine, "Let me know your availability?" She suggested, already feeling the pang in her heart about leaving, surprised by how hard it was now to walk away, to say goodbye.
But, Jiri needed him too.
And she needed to get Yuki back to the swamp, and she'd need to wind down her day as well, for her early start the next, while she went through her training as a battlemage. "I'll see you again before you know it." She promised, her grin playful, teasing before she repeated those words she'd only just been able to say, "Love you." And she pressed her cheek to his one last time, before turning to head home, since she knew it'd be easier for her to leave, than for him. And, if she was honest, the admission still embarrassed her enough to feel like a silly little foal.
"Bel"
Yukime
@Sol Bestiam
Notes:: Doing a closer now <3 haha. Might be a bit before we can do another thread. I wanna keep my thread count low for a little bit, as I come up on midterms and Kim's wedding the next few weeks <3
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
