The Portal raw - Printable Version +- the Rift (http://riftrpg.net) +-- Forum: Archives (http://riftrpg.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=20) +--- Forum: Year 1173 (http://riftrpg.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=29) +---- Forum: Completed (http://riftrpg.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=25) +---- Thread: The Portal raw (/showthread.php?tid=414) |
||||
raw - Amaris - 07-26-2017 even after the darkest of nights, dawn comes again
It all happened so fast.
When her senses had returned to as close to 'normal' as before the Moon Goddess' words had rung out across the Edge's misty woods, the dragonmare realised with startling clarity just how much the world had declined into chaos around them. While her depression, her shock had blinded her, numbed her to the goings-on, she hadn't realised fully the extent to which this Kaos' reached extended, the effect it had on the lands she knew. Every one of them had known her hooves upon their surface at one time or another, she thought, anyway. As the end neared, she could not help but reflect on all that she knew, and the vast greater that she wished she knew. We are going to die, Dramyrth. I think not, was his response, cool and confident, sure and allowing no room for his bondmate to deny him this belief. How do you know? We have too much to live for. The dragonmare sighed, not sure what it was she was feeling at this moment, as her wings stretched out and cupped the winds that held her aloft over the ruined lands of Helovia. She was not immune to the push, the urgings to travel south, to the Marshes, the very lands that consumed her mother all those years ago. She couldn't deny that she was afraid, and once she identified that, she clung to the feeling, for at least it was something she could feel, something she could identify, though she was careful not to let it envelop here completely. Dramyrth helped, as he always did. He buffeted her fear with courage, his sure heart carrying them through this time, reminding her of all it was they had to live for. Each other, naturally, and that would have been enough on its own, but he flashed images, memories tainted with powerful emotions through her mind's eye, of her newborn nieces, of her They arrived at the Marshes alongside everyone else. They watched the battle unfurl - though it was hardly a battle, more like a massacre, a suicide mission to any who stood against the being Kaos. That old numbness entered her again as she watched familiar faces go into the fight, as she swallowed the tears, the cries, the anguish of wanting to intervene, to save and rescue and protect and preserve - but it was impossible, as she stood by her family, her familiars, her bondmate and cousin and Mesec and their daughters. She stood amongst them, and then moved forward with them as the portal opened, as its yawning, gaping mouth ushered them onwards. Dramyrth… was the last thought that went through her head while she still stood upon Helovian soil. Everything went black - or, well, everything seemed to cease, and black was the only word suitable to describe the sensation. Even the bond went silent, and the dragonmare knew that she existed only by the fact that her consciousness still clung to something telling her she was alive, that she was still Amaris even if she felt nothing else but this strange feeling of bland consciousness. Then her hooves were upon soil again, and her weight settled upon them, her legs snapping into place, Dramyrth's claws once again pinched her back, his mind still present (but distant, like before, when she had left Helovia and he had grown sick, but he was alive still, not unwell, just.. distant). And then her eyes were open again, though she didn't remember closing them, she didn't remember telling them to close, or even to open once more. The world was different. She was alone, except for Dramyrth. Her lungs tried the air, taking deep gulps of it - she had not realised that she had been holding it. With her stance wide and her wings spread, she stood, gasping, calculating, trying to stop the storm of emotions from hitting her and wiping her out. They were alive. Alive. She couldn't hear Dramyrth's reply if he gave one, couldn't feel his sure, steady emotional core, but she could physically feel him, his talons upon her back, his weight upon her withers. He purred deeply, hoping to soothe her, and it worked, to an extent. Where are we? she couldn't help but ask, reach out for him, the habit too well formed in her to cease so soon. "Tandavi…?" she asked out loud this time, testing her voice, hearing it whisper between the trees as it left her lips. Amaris breathed again, steadying herself, though still barely grasping onto this new reality, this new world which would never see the faces of those who had sacrificed themselves for her and whoever else wandered to the realm to survive, to live. Someday, she would make the conscious decision to honour their sacrifice, to live. But today, she hurt too much. Today, the wounds were still too raw, too fresh. She was caught between her emotions, too numb to move, too shocked to scream, too scared to do anything but stand there, and wait for whatever was to come to come.
A m a r i s littlewillow-art | whimzi on deviantart
Magic :: [ Magic: FirexLight (U) | Can summon 5 small (plain), or 2 large (royal) dragon apparitions who can breathe fire ] :: [ Restrictions | Difficult to maintain; each dragon can use one fire breathing ability per summoning ] ^SAFE :: [ Magic: LightxSpark (U) | Via illusionary bolts of lightning 'mindshock' is induced in another, triggering a severe static-y migraine or temporary crippling paralysis. ] :: [ Restrictions | Requires permission outside battle. Effects last 30 seconds in battle. ] Items :: [ Item: Genetic Mutation | Able to bond to 2 companions. ] :: [ Item: Electrum Whip | A sturdy whip forged in arcs of lightning and fire, when in use, it crackles and leaves burns in its wake; has a leather core and is coated in electrum, giving it a silver-gold finish. ] :: [ Restrictions | Can be somewhat unwieldy to use. ] ^SAFE :: [ Item: Medium Mutation | Genetic Mutation. Blood is liquid silver. ] Companions :: [ Companion: Gold Dragon | Fire Breath & Frost Breath | 1 yr 4 mos ] ^SAFE Amulets :: [ Moon Amulet ] (contains her mother's illusion magic) :: [ Kaos Amulet ] :: [ Kaos Amulet ] :: [ Sun Amulet ] :: [ Moon Amulet ] (given to Mirage by Moon Goddess forever ago, contains magic to be able to turn into a shadow and travel across the lands) Requests No major or permanent appearance changes please! @Rift Presence @Tandavi @Mesec @Vesper ??? RE: raw - Rift Presence - 07-26-2017
Mmmm.
If the shadows could like their chops, they would. One could feel the saliva dripping from these unseen, non-extant, shadow-jowls. And that saliva came as rain, thick and drenching across your coat. It sinks into your skin, coating between your scales; tasting, tugging, ripping, as if ephemeral teeth were apart of this never-ending torrent. Delicious. the Rift [TRANSFER NOTES : AMARIS ] Magic: Offensive: Can summon fire-breathing dragon apparitions. Defensive: Hallucinogenic saliva seeps out from under scales. (see Amulets) Unseen jaws crunch nearly audibly on your other magic. Items: Offensive: Electrum whip, that crackles and leaves burns in its wake. Has a leather core and is coated in electrum, giving it a silver-gold finish. Mutations: Blood is liquid silver. Amulets: The drops of godsblood you carry suddenly feel slick and slimy against you skin, as if they are coated in drool. And it begins to spread from the amulets, dripping from your skin and slipping beneath your scales. So coated are you, that you feel you will never be dry.... and you won't. The Rift's saliva has found a home beneath your scales...but I wonder what will happen if you get it in your own mouth? Companion: Dramyrth : Dragon OOC Obtained: 26 March 2016 Rift Birthdate: Mid Scorch 1172 RE: raw - Otem - 07-26-2017
RE: raw - Amaris - 07-28-2017 even after the darkest of nights, dawn comes again
Had Amaris been her mother, perhaps the encroaching shadows would not have unnerved her so. Had Amaris not been Amaris and instead been the DragonHeart, the shadowmare, the dark lady who danced amidst the shadows, perhaps she would have welcomed the creeping, crawling, stretching, yawning darkness that reached towards her, instead of twitching, flinching, jumping sideways. The motions were all useless, and once she realised that pain was not the shadow's objectives, she calmed somewhat - she could still hear Dramyrth's purrs, still feel him, and though he paused a moment while the shadows crossed over him, he reassured her through his touch that he was fine, that she was fine, that they were still alive even if this strange world was intent on swallowing them whole.
It swallowed something, anyway. Amaris could hear the gulp, the swallow, even as she felt the strange, sickly, sticky saliva coat her. Were they being consumed? When the strange 'light' of the realm returned, and the sensation of being dripping wet lessened, Amaris knew she had been … changed. Physically, her scales felt slick, damp, as if they were seeping some kind of oily, perpetually wet substance - her scales had always glistened in the sunlight, but now they seemed to attract all photons of light, mirroring this strange land on the golden planes of her bodice. Stretching a wing out experimentally, she sniffed the scales that lined it, viewing these changes with a critical stare, testing it with the flick of her tongue flashing between golden lips. She wasn't left alone to learn about these changes for long, however, as her name was spoken by… By Isopia. The dragonmare blinked, and when her gaze fell upon the mare again, it wasn't the Mountain that Knows, it wasn't her Seer, her friend, her mentor and idol. No, it wasn't Isopia, but a mare who so looked like her that her heart broke all over again. Otem, she thought she recalled, though without her beloved Dramyrth's thoughts right beside her own she was left wondering if even that fleeting, momentary meeting on the borders of her former home with her former Seer had even happened… "Yes," she supplied, though the word was offered somewhat uncertainly, hinting at the varying emotions that ran through her - relief, for they were alive; an impending sense of grief, for all who were not alive; fear, for where was Tandavi and her family?; and above all that deadening, all-encompassing numbness that seemed to wash everything else aside and leave her feeling raw, vacant, empty. "But I appear to be mostly intact, though I cannot hear Dramyrth's thoughts like I used to before, I can still feel him.." at this she glanced to the golden dragon who lay upon her back, sniffing at the damp scales he sat upon but decidedly not doing anything else. "Are you alright?" she turned her attention back to the young mare, as her numb mind slowly reminded her that she was alone, that there were others most likely being affected by whatever it was that 'welcomed' newcomers here, and that they were probably affected in different, varying ways, if the general strangeness of the realm was anything to go by. "And your -" family, she was going to say, but then paused, for she knew that Isopia was one, she had seen it, the way the Mountain made her final sacrifice, to give them the chance to live on, "- brother, and father, are they alright too?" She thought it a safer question to phrase, for she had heard Volterra's trumpeting call, his summons, his protective ushering of his children, and Amaris knew Otem and her brother to fall in that definition.
A m a r i s littlewillow-art | whimzi on deviantart @Otem RE: raw - Otem - 07-28-2017
@Amaris WOW. JUST BREAK MY HEART A BIT MORE WHY DON'T YOU RE: raw - Amaris - 07-29-2017 even after the darkest of nights, dawn comes again
The illusion had been so convincing, the image of Isopia standing there before her, speaking her name, enquiring after her wellbeing - she ached for it to be real. But it hadn't been real, it couldn't be, because she was gone, dead, sacrificed to the dark neon beast who brought them all here.
She felt a nudge from Dramyrth - their bond, whilst not what it used to be, was still there, and snippets of feelings seemed to dribble through between them. It was a blessing, a lifeline, it grounded her more than anything else could have. As he nudged her scaled wither with his maw, he flicked his tongue out to wipe away the moisture that gathered. It was momentary, brief, a flash of a strange vision encroaching upon the dragonmare's mind, before the link was severed again, and Amaris was left wondering what had happened. Silent again, Dramyrth merely blinked, his purrs turning into uncertain growls for a moment as he shook his head, evidently also shaking away the strange images of neon lights pulsing all around them that had surfaced in his mind. What was happening to them? Seeing things that weren't there, being coated in a strange slime, being here, alive but changed - had Amaris not been born to a land that where unusual was more common than usual, she might not have been able to cope with everything that was happening. And well, she wasn't coping, not really. Amaris was putting on the strong face while another stood so near to her, she was swallowing the despair and welcoming the numbness that would allow her to continue on with this charade of 'normalcy'. The girl spoke reassuring words, and Amaris felt ashamed that such a young girl would be forced to live through these events so soon, that she would be the one to offer reassurances to her, not the other way around. "You're right," she murmured in response, offering a thin smile that held no sincerity behind it - it was just a mask, a feigned motion that had no effort or truth behind it at all. Yes, Amaris knew that she was fortunate to still be alive, with her companion - and when she heard that some companions had left the sides of their bonded on their journey here, she felt a very real pang of guilt flare, as if it were her own fault, though that in itself was puzzling. Concern bloomed within her then, as the girl spoke of her many siblings with such dismissive gestures, even shrugging them aside with a motion of her shoulders. Amaris was aware of Volterra and his many children, and she had assumed that Isopia knew as well, and that the children would be raised knowing this, accepting this as the norm - could it be that Otem was not appreciative of sharing her genetics with so many? But was it even Amaris' place to be concerned? She had cared about Isopia, very deeply, and she cared about Volterra too - by extension, even in her numb state, she cared about Otem and her brother too. Still, was it her business? Why was she filled with the urge to reach out to the girl, to pull her into an embrace and help her face the tortures they had all just been through? Amaris nodded as Otem spoke, acknowledging her words, though her gaze was sharp, enquiring - she wanted to bring this up again later, wanted to discuss it, to get to the heart of it, perhaps even to commiserate openly about the loss of Isopia, for if Otem felt emotions even a fraction of the way Amaris did, she knew the loss of her mother was not something one simply chuckled away. "Home is where the heart is," Amaris said softly, taking a step forward, stretching out a wingtip to gently touch the side of the girl's neck, offering a more sincere smile to her. "Yes, we should keep moving," she agreed, withdrawing her wing, and motioning to begin walking away. "I need to find my family," she began, before pausing - she didn't want to seem dismissive of Otem's presence. "I am glad to know you are alive, thank you for finding me - you are welcome to travel with me as long as you like if you so desire." It was a genuine offer, a plea, an opportunity for the dragonmare to cling to something from her homeland, something she did not want to let go of, even if Otem was far too grown up for a mother's doting affection, Amaris felt herself wanting to give it to her anyway (if only the girl would accept).
A m a r i s littlewillow-art | whimzi on deviantart @Otem NO YOU STOP RE: raw - Otem - 07-31-2017
@Amaris RE: raw - Yael - 07-31-2017 ”Amarees?” Her accented voice seems to come from someone else, from some ghost version of herself, as it wafts through the darkness and mists. Luckily for Yael, she is the only one with such vocal qualities, and to her friend, she hopes there can be no mistakes as to who calls her name. This seems a familiar scene, what with the mists and all, as each woman has found the other in some part of the Edge’s fog-wrapped forest. But this, as they both know, is entirely different. Too different. Heart-breakingly different. Her normally lean, rib-tight body swells with a giant child, and she can no longer hide it. Not that she’d want to keep this a secret from her friend, but Yael doesn’t want the focus to be on her. She doesn’t deserve that type of attention (it is an odd sort of mental oscillation that she rides, swinging from one end to the other on several emotional axis). “Amarees, ees zat you?” Slowly, two shapes begin to take shape until the tiny mare is all of a sudden upon the both of them. She offers the filly, who carries an edge of familiarity in her features, though Yael obviously cannot know who’s daughter she is, a weary smile. They seemed to be a little more upbeat than the rest of the Helovians, and it makes the mother in her quite glad. Until she sees the slick coat of Amaris’s skin, that is. Brown eyes go wide as Yael takes it in. She’d been burned by molten metal, but the wounds from the God’s blood would heal in time. It is normal. Slime? How does one get rid of that?. She refrains from asking anything aloud, sure that the woman could see the questions and concern in her gaze. Zani could care less, of course, letting out only the occasional, pitiful yowl of protest to her now rocking gait. He is a most unhappy little kitten. Yael a lover of the light @Otem @Amaris -crash lands- Sorry not sorrrrrry RE: raw - Amaris - 08-04-2017 even after the darkest of nights, dawn comes again
Thrown as she was into this situation, tilted, off-kilter, Amaris did not notice a difference between the girl's false-smile and true-smile. Perhaps, had she been less numb, less altered and more 'herself', she might have noticed the subtle difference, the way the girl hesitated a mere fragment of a moment before reacting, the way her body rejected the touch through its silent, miniscule tensions - Amaris was blind to it all, unseeing, wilfully ignorant of seeing anything but what she wanted to see in this child of the Mountain she had loved. And whenever she was back to 'herself', would this wilful blindness be lifted? Would she be able to identify that which made Otem different, made her numb, ignorant to the throes of feelings and emotions yet all the more intelligent, smarter, cleverer for it? It was impossible to know.
Otem spoke of things others had said, and Amaris nodded, vaguely recognising the name, though not necessarily agreeing with the words. Amaris had had many homes in her short lifetime, many herds, many realms, though Helovia had always been at the heart of them, the land her soul yearned for - Helovia was no longer to be, no longer an option, no longer possible, though hope still lingered stubbornly within her, she knew she should move on, start the healing process now - even if the only way she could do that was to swallow the despair, the grief, the depression that wanted to consume her whole. A smile curved her lips as the yearling agreed to join her, at least in this wandering, and she set off at a brisk walk, happy for the movement and the company in this uniquely odd moment. Amaris listened to Otem's words again, her curiosity urging her to ask more about what the girl had learned so far but not voicing them yet. "Tandavi is my cousin, and her daughters, Neara and Savera, are my relatives by blood. But there are many more whom I consider family." Would it have been too forward for her to tell Otem she held affection for her, even if she knew nothing of her aside from her parentage? Would it be foolish to tell her of the friendship she held with Volterra, her father, of the truly profound way her heart missed Isopia's presence, of how it had broken when the then-Seer had stepped down, had ventured to the Throat to be with him, to birth this girl and her brother..? It was too much, Amaris knew, and so she held her tongue on that fact, trying to think of all the names of those she cared about, and wondering at how the list had grown so great in such a short expanse of time. Be still, my aching, breaking heart, she pleaded with herself, shoving aside that rising despair that always danced just beneath the surface of her level of control. Amarees? the question came on tones she knew all too well, tones that lifted her spirits, the raised her heart rate, that caused excitement to thrum happily through her veins. "Yael," she breathed, pressing onwards, finding the mare - the very pregnant, bruised and battered and burned golden mare, thrilled to see her alive at least. "Yael!" she greeted happily, trotting forward, wanting to reach out and touch her, embrace her - but remembering her altered state, the watery saliva that now coated her, that had uncertain affects upon her or anyone who touched it. Who knew what it might do to one with open wounds, with a child growing in their womb? "Are you alright?" she asked, before gesturing to herself. "It would appear the touch of this place affected us both in different ways - I'm not sure if this new wetness upon my scales is harmful or not." She turned back to Otem, to ensure she knew this beautiful golden mare was another friend, another member of the family Amaris had etched onto the sides of her heart. "Otem," she purred, "this is Yael. Isopia named her Sage of the World's Edge," (when the World's Edge was still a place that held physical significance in their hearts.) "Yael, this is Otem, Daughter of the Mountain that Knows, and my treasured friend and knowledgeable companion in this strange place." She didn't know whether they knew each other already, whether Isopia had managed to introduce her daughter to everyone before everything fell apart - she was only going on the assumption that Yael greeted only Amaris by name and peered with silent questions that they were as yet unintroduced, and so hoped to rectify that. A trickle of comfort, of solace, was found in the mare, as she experienced a sense of déjà vu, of three kindred spirits reuniting, even if one of those was the daughter of the third soul - it didn't matter, for Amaris' heart beat all the happier for it regardless.
A m a r i s littlewillow-art | whimzi on deviantart @Otem @Yael Happy to work this towards fading to black in the next few posts and maybe pick a new thread with them all - sorry for the wait ladies <33 RE: raw - Otem - 08-04-2017
@Yael I'm happy to fade and pick up elsewhere! |