[AW] we both made promises

[Liam]

Another new world meant another chance at a new life.

Hope clung heavily to the chestnut stallion as he walked along in the field, the sound of the waves washing ashore coming from his left. He was walking northbound, the winds warm from where they rushed in off the sea. Divots were left behind in the dirt as he strode forward, hooves digging into the ground below as his muscles rippled under his coat, propelling him toward an unknown goal. There was a light dusting of frost coating the ground, but with the day just beginning, Liam didn’t think that the conditions would remain the same for much longer. Flicking his gaze toward the sea, Liam paused in his stride, neck turning to gaze toward the water. The sound was peaceful, allowing him to calm his breathing and his wayward thoughts, allow his anxieties about everything being so new to essentially cease. Flicking his tail as his nostrils flared and lungs filled with air, the stallion began to move again, though his path changed, altered. He began moving toward the beach this time, hooves still slicing through the partially frozen terrain, ears flicking back and forth as he listened to his surroundings, always on high alert.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon behind him, lighting his copper coat on fire as he paused at the water’s edge, allowing the saltwater to wash over his hooves. A whisper of a chill rippled up and down his spine as he stood there, just staring out at the water, just watching. He didn’t know what was out there, what made him keep landing from one world to another, from one home to another. A pang of nostalgia washed over him and his heart clenched in his chest as his mind began to turn toward a different train of thought. He missed Angosia, missed the sights and smells, missed the townspeople. It wasn’t much, but it was home. His mind, soul, body ached for the home he lost, for the friends, the people he’d met, the love he’d lost and then found again. He had yet to really explore this new world, but he was sure that Bucky was out there somewhere. The big lug got himself caught up in more sticky situations than Liam even knew what to do with. A small smile appeared on Liam’s lips as he thought back to their childhood, the countless hours they’d spent together, the countless dumb squabbles they got in, how dumb it all seemed now.

Again, his heart clenched in his chest as he thought about the day that he’d lost Bucky and then found him again. The Buchanan he once knew was gone, replaced with a weapon, something that didn’t resemble the Bucky that Liam had once known and loved. How could Liam have just left him there in the snow in that damn valley that fateful day? How could he have been so selfish?! A roar of anger flared through the stallion and he reared skyward, lashing out at the sky in pure anger, his ears pressed back against his poll, fury blazing in his ice-blue eyes. Clods of sand and dirt flew out from beneath large hooves as the stallion reared again, hurt and pain and fury erupting from every pore, cascading down to the ground as he landed, his chin tucked into his chest as he stood there on the beach, not moving. Only the wind blowing his mane and tail away from his frame gave away the fact that he was real, rather than a statue.

Tears burned his eyes, vision swimming as he slowly closed them, ears still pinned back against his poll. He’d found Buchanan once before in that one land, the one where he’d slowly rediscovered his memories, the one where he learned that he’d been stuck on a ship that had wrecked along the coast. The last thing he remembered from his time there was a wonderful time spent in a meadow with his Bucky, the one he adored and called his own.

Pain chipped away at his heart, and Liam turned away from the water, lunging up the slight incline that dropped to the beach from the grasses, his frame slipping into the grasses. The sun was rising still, though it was still low on the horizon. The tenseness was gone out of Liam now, the grasses tickling his coat as he walked, cutting a path through the foliage as he just walked, mindless in his direction. He didn’t even know where he was going this time, and he wasn’t so sure that he wanted to really know.


Notes;; 
Tag;; 
Voice Claim: Chris Evans
Words;; 801

you can't justify murder
by masking it with a cause

liam

image | coding

[Noctiilucent]

Girl in the fire, do you pray when you're on your knees...

Terrastella. It was a far cry from the Night Court, that was so expertly carved by Callisto. Denocte's streets were a bustle when night fell, and the stench of smoke was still thick in the air from the tragedy that fell upon their shoulders just months before. Long before the relic had ever surfaced. Noctiilucent found herself restless in these days, the days grew shorter and colder with each new moonrise. She had been restless since she had encountered the entertainer in the night markets, the woman had captivated her thoughts even though she was absent. Noctii had not seen her in some time, and she hoped for only the best for such a mesmerizing woman. The golden woman with ivory oceans found herself at the door that would lead her into the heart of Terastella. Since her arrival in Novus, she had found the only thing to quell her restless storms was to wander beyond the borders of Denocte. As long as she avoided Solterra, she was convinced that she was safe. Efphion would be there, of this she had no doubts. Her sister was a wolf, a ravenous one.  The daughter that the moon adopted was no longer a soldier, she had lost the fire and chaos behind when she had abandoned Reth and the gods who loved her so dearly.


A vast field sprawled into the horizon before her. It had always fascinated her that the land and sky appeared to meld together as one when she had never witnessed an instance of this illusion. The island had taught her to be skeptical of all that Novus had to show the inhabitants, or rather these new gods who lorded over Novus. Noctiilucent had been so lost in thought that she had almost failed to take notice of a large bronc lurching straight towards her. His eyes betrayed him when they glazed over and stared with a harrowing emptiness into the horizon behind her. The scholar halted her gold and ivory oceans with mahogany islands to assess if this man posed a threat to her. The way he lurched forward without seeing what was before him did not stir a need for self-preservation in the woman of Denocte. His expression felt familiar to her, and her heart quickened in response to her study of the man. They had not uttered a word to one another, and yet she found herself empathizing with him. It was this realization that brought her to another one, that there was a sea beside them, who had begun to serenade the shoreline as the man pressed onward. Noctiilucent refrained from interrupting him for moments more, in case her presence would beckon a volatile response from him.


There was an overwhelming urge to call out to him, one she could not explain away with her emotional tides carrying her away. She did relate to whatever expression he was wearing because she had felt it before. Noctii had yet to become aware of this fact, and so her ivory and ink kissed lips parted so that her song would join that of the sea. "Are you alright?" The foreign words slithered passed her lips, and nearly strangled her as they escaped from her chest. Her concern for this stranger felt like a black sludge that she was desperately trying to tread through. It was a wonder that anyone, even a stranger, could evoke such a visceral response within the woman forged by the sun itself. Noctiilucent was no longer a part of the sun, she had rejected the sun that had made her. She was a ghost of the solar flares that were flung across the universe. She had been discarded by the sun as much as she had rebelled against it. The scholar of Denocte wondered what wars and ghosts were gnawing on this man's heels. It was a subject she often wondered about. The woman with ivory seas parted her lips once more to expand on her previous question, but she was forced to stifle the sound before it left her throat. She took note of the very heavy weight of the medallion upon her nape in these moments. The Sun would never release her as long as she bore his sigil upon her bodice.


Noctii could not abandon the sun, though she was a ghost. A ghost who cared so much for strangers, that she now stood in a field with an unknown man with unknown intent, and begged them for their state of mind.
 

Words: 753 | Notes: This will get better, I haven't written her in a few months! | Tags: @Liam

... Or do you wait and watch as it bleeds

[Liam]

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

you can't justify murder
by masking it with a cause

liam

image | coding

[Noctiilucent]

Girl in the fire, do you pray when you're on your knees...

The man had almost brushed right past her when he suddenly looked up. His features were stricken with surprise. Noctii felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her. She worried that she had disturbed him. Noctii felt her cheeks grow hot in response to his surprise. The man responded, but his words promised her no certainty. "I think that is up for you to define,"  Noctii answered him politely, but she wanted to shrink into the ground now that he was aware of her. His expression had changed deftly from shock to something indiscernible to her. "You seemed entranced by something or someone. I was uncertain if it was the doing of a magician." She spoke again. The scholar of Denocte could feel his eyes sweep across her bodice. His gaze did not feel malicious or predatory. His gaze did not make her uncomfortable. Noctii suddenly became aware of how soft his blue eyes were. His eyes peered at her from his deep umber hide. He wore ribbons of ivory and shattered porcelain as decoration. His hair was brighter, almost as though it had been the fire that burned such rich tones into his flesh. The question that fell from his ash stained lips surprised her. Noctii smiled at him. "I am so restless that my bones are gnawing on themselves." She admitted to him with a gentle laugh.

"I suppose it is unusual for a stranger to beg another strange for their state of mind," Noctii uttered quietly. This man was so attentive. He had allowed his ears to flicker forward to display his interest in their conversation. She was appreciative of such a small, yet kind gesture. His chuckle was as rich as the color of his coat. Her thorns twitched in response to the sound. She was not offended that he seemed to chuckle at her inability to utter anything further. Instead, she offered him an amused smile. Her smile faded quickly. His gaze was beckoned back towards the sea. He told her that he missed someone who was missing. Noctii felt her heart pound faster in her chest. She couldn't imagine missing someone you couldn't find. Death at least offered closure. That type of loss took time to heal. It wasn't as unknown as someone missing. "Oh no, that's terrible. Were you traveling together before this? What is his name? I can help you keep watch for him." She offered to him gently.

The man spoke again and informed her that he was new to Novus. "Exactly? Well, currently we are in Terastella, the Dusk Court. This world is called Novus. There are four courts here named after the four times of day, Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night. The Dawn Court is Delumine. The Day Court is Solterra. The Night Court is Denocte. Each has their deities. That's all I've managed to learn since I came to Novus. I'm Noctiilucent but I go by Noctii. I live in Denocte." She answered him, with the hope that her words would be helpful to him. Noctii was surprised at how deep this conversation had grown in such a short amount of time. These were the kinds of conversations she wanted to have. "Truthfully, I am not much one for faith. The gods have never been kind to me, though I have had very minimal interactions with them here. Novus is a place where the gods here are very real," She warned him gently.



 

Words: 574 | Notes: No worries! I always love long posts <3 | Tags: @Liam

... Or do you wait and watch as it bleeds