12-22-2017, 03:35 AM (This post was last modified: 12-22-2017, 03:37 AM by Aurelia.)
AURELIA
Hototo is dead, killed by the Moon Goddess. Isopia was her mother, second child of the earth. Was? Hm. The sun, too, had two children. Aurelia knew little of the familial happenings of the gods, clearly. Aurelia could see a resemblance between Hototo and Otem, however. Well, actually, maybe not. After looking at Otem for a second, the resemblance seems more distant. There is some resemblance, perhaps in the structure of the face, the size, height, something. Hototo and Otem don't really look alike. Aurelia should've guessed some strange shenanigans occurred between the gods (like murder) to create Otem or even Isopia for that matter. "Hototo is dead?" The question is rhetorical, only spoken because Aurelia is truly at a loss for words. What drove the night to kill the eath's progeny? Who else has died? How long has Aurelia been gone? Switching from sane to insane with the frequency Aurelia has, there are a lot of gaps in her history. The news of Hototo's death is the first news of death Aurelia has ever received. Were all the horses of her past still alive? Africa? Gaucho? Mauja? Destry? Kahlua? Anyone? A shiver went down her spine as she began adding up the years she's known them. They'd all be decently old now, but old enough to be dead? Were all the horses of her past just memories now? Aurelia herself is eight, nearly nine. She entered Helovia when she was around two. That's a lot of years, a lot of horses, a lot of memories. A shudder ran down her spine.
Otem changed the subject and the conversation switched to a new topic once more. "Aurelia," she offers. Her name was infamous in parts of Helovia. She caused chaos many different times. Challenging horses, stealing items, creating chaos every turn, the name Aurelia is synonyms with heartache and destruction. "I wasn't born in Helovia." She doesn't divulge any information about her pre-Helovian history. "I arrived when I was young." There isn't much to say. Aurelia doesn't know what answers Otem is searching for. "I have a long, hard history with Helovia, I'm not sure what to say. The six or so years following my arrival were turbulent. I often left Helovia randomly for long periods of time because of the hardships I faced," she said evenly and calmly. "Or created for myself, rather." The little addition shifts the blame for all of her struggles from those around her to herself. No one is to blame, but herself. Aurelia had a knack for creating problems for herself and others.
Quietly, her thoughts begin to wander. "If we leave, how will we ask it qustions?" Would it be dangerous to wait for it? Maybe Otem was scared. Part of Aurelia definitely was.
another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated.
Although the question is rhetorical, Otem nods her head slowly. She'd never had the chance to meet her uncle, but she'd heard lots about him. How he was large, and blue, and kind, and had a magical harp that followed him around. He was the reason her mother had sought a bronze dragon - because that was what Hototo always wanted. Or at least that was what she had been told.
"Aurelia!" Otem murmured instantly. "You-" Memories fogged in front of the girl's eyes. She had a terrible memory, but the name ... she knew it. She'd been told it. But .. but how did the blonde mare fit in? Stumbling over the memories, Otem began, "Kahlua was my grandmother ... I remember ... there was a snake, wasn't there?" Otem's brows narrowed uncertainly, seeing only a snake in her mind associated with her grandmother, but nothing else. "And ... my father is Volterra. You and he ... he knew you, didn't he?"
Otem's twin had always been much more studious than she, especially when it came to retaining information, but Otem had tried to listen and to remember. But after everything that had happened her life in Helovia, and its history, seemed so distant as to be unreachable.
But there was something there, wasn't there?
As Aurelia pointed out that leaving would make questioning the thing impossible, Otem staunchly wanted to disagree. Questioning the thing to get information was a worthwhile thing if one didn't have anything to lose. Although nothing had happened to the girl thus far when she'd come back here, that was no guarantee that nothing would ever happen to her. Nibbling on her lip, she dutifully nodded, but looked around uncertainly.
"I think ... I think whatever comes is part of the sickness." Otem began, trying to fill the silence. "I think it eats powers for nourishment, and takes things away for fun. I've seen items get broken for no reason, and powers corrupted. Sometimes it's just little things - I have a friend who farts everytime he uses his magic now - but I think sometimes it's more serious. Like it doesn't work at all, or it hurts you instead." Otem hadn't seen all of this first-hand, but she could extrapolate from the stories that she had heard. "I think that's part of why Kisamoa wants us to help heal the land ... some of it has been taken over by darkness, but other parts of it are just sick. Like this part, maybe."
The girl had no way to know whether or not this was true, but it was her current working theory. And while they were waiting to probably have their magic taken away by the invisible portal-thing, they might as well at least discuss the possibility.
The name Aurelia- it means so much. It's a name with a story. The simple mention of it jogs Otem's mind. She begins by repeating the name, a glint of remembrance fluttering across her features. She doesn't begin with a simple 'I know you.' Instead, she dives head first into the most sensitive part of the pegasus's history. Aurelia's tranquility over the last few exchanges with Otem is running short. Never had she experienced so much in so little time. Aurelia visibly winces when Otem brings up snakes. The dark, black-hole half of her mind engaging, beginning to hold influence over all of her emotions and actions. Imagine giving someone a large loan, but suddenly they die. They cannot repay the loan now, and suddenly you yourself are in debt because of the huge loss of currency. You can scramble all you want to come up with the money, but you never can. As your bills begin to pile up, you must pay them which only sinks you further and further into debt. Losing a companion is similar to this, but magnified. It's a constant downward spiral.
She shifted her weight side-to-side uncomfortably. The only time she'd ever spoken about the Kahlua challenge was when she was trying to heal her snake back to life, since then it has never been mentioned. Though Otem does not directly mention it, she is very close to it. Aurelia stays silent as the native speaks, hoping that she will say more and veer away from the subject so Aurelia will not have to respond to her statements and questions. When Otem stops speaking, a question hangs in the air. Volterra? Aurelia throws the name around her head. "Truthfully, I don't know if I've met Volterra or not. I've spent decent amounts of time in each herd," usually due to imprisonment, she silently added. She'd resided in Dragon's Throat twice. She'd resided in the World's Edge twice. She'd been stolen by the Foothills (and then again when they were called the Hidden Falls) and the Aurora Basin, too. "I probably bumped into him along the way. Most likely in the wars that occurred against the Rift gods before the portal practically swallowed Helovia whole." She spoke of the events that transpired with nonchalance. She didn't dive in the Kahlua v Aurelia drama, though she suspected Otem was probably curious about it.
Again, Otem began to speak. She touched on many subjects rapidly. The sickness, the magic, the items, Kisamoa (even though Aurelia really had no idea who that was still), and the darkness of the land. Aurelia's mind quickly thought about her variety of trinkets and her magic. Would it all be stripped from her? Her locket, her amulet, her pulsing crystals, her fire? "If it comes to take our powers and it's sick, can't the orbs heal it?" Her eyes darted to the orb that bobbed beside her. "On the other hand, if it's not sick, but just some strange form of darkness that lives on this land, can't it never get fixed.. or healed, rather?" Either the thing would be healed by the orbs and dissipate or turn 'clean' OR it would be confirmed that it is impossible to heal or fix, and thus would be a permanent fixture of the Rift lifestyle. Either outcome would offer the two mares a marginal amount of insight into the inner workings of the Rift. Were her questions insane? Did they make sense? She certainly has a lot of them.
another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated.
Although Otem could see Aurelia's discomfort - as she shifted her weight back and forth - she had no idea (not even a clue) as to what had caused it. Had it been Kahlua? What Otem knew of her maternal grandmother was that she was a kind and benevolent ruler for the most part. Hadn't her title been sunshower? She was meant to be warmth in the darkness, and even though Isopia had said she'd vanished without so much as a goodbye, she didn't seem that bad? Although looking at Aurelia now, you certainly would have thought she was. Perhaps Aurelia was one of the ones hurt by Kahlua's sudden disappearance.
"IDIOT." The necklace around Otem's neck suddenly chimed up. The voice was screechy and shrill, and although the charm was a simple oak leaf, it certainly appeared to be smirking. "You remember snake. Do you seeeeeeeeeeee a snake?" The voice continued making Otem jump. She knew there was no point in trying to cover it with her wings, it would simply continue on as it was doing now. "ERGOOOOO.????!??!!??!"
Ergo what? Otem couldn't think. She just wanted to drown herself (and the charm) in a deep pool and never come out again.
Aurelia continues, and her words are perhaps even more surprising than the necklace's outburst. She doesn't know Volterra? She, a pretty mare? Was such a thing even possible? Otem was sure that her Father had bedded just about everyone that he came in contact with, and he'd ruled over the Dragon's Throat for at least a handful of seasons. Most females that Otem met were either her siblings or someone Volterra had been with. To be neither was a rare occurrence. "Yes, he was definitely there." Otem agreed with a muffled smile.
Wanting to get back to what the necklace had said, Otem nudged it with a wing tip. "What it said ... did you fight a snake? Did Kahlua?"
Once again Aurelia seemed to stump the autumn-toned girl with a question that was far more clever than she would have given the golden mare credit for. Would the orbs heal whatever thing was coming? She genuinely had no idea. Were the orbs really that powerful? Would they be able to stop it? Otem glanced at the identical balls of light just hovering in the air. Would Kisamoa really have given them something so powerful, with so few instructions?
12-22-2017, 06:06 AM (This post was last modified: 12-22-2017, 06:07 AM by Aurelia.)
AURELIA
The conversation, in general, is strange, but also extremely uncomfortable for Aurelia. She is not quite ready to tell the story of her companion to this mare who she hardly knows. There is a screeching voice that slices through the air. It aggravates Aurelia slightly, but she remains cool, trying her hardest not to let the talk of snakes affect her as much as it can. Otem has already agreed to stay with Aurelia and wait for the presence to come try to strip her of her magic. It was a strange feeling for Aurelia, she wasn't used to being bait, but here she was, exposed in the open- her magic served to the Rift on a golden platter.
If Aurelia were to not answer Otem's prying questions, the silence would grow heavier by the second. Things could get very awkward when two strangers are forced to just look at one another in silence. She is asked if Kahlua or herself had to fight a snake. She chuckled dryly, finding the comment comical in a bitter, hateful sort of way. When her expression grows more serious again, she prepares to just let it out. The damaged pegasus will just say it, no matter the feelings that overwhelm her along the way. "The snake you've heard of was no monster the Helovians needed to fight off, nor was it something anyone had to fight off." The snake had frankly not done much harm in its short time alive. "It's name was Shilva, my bonded." Those words felt so good strung together.. Shilva, my bonded. Oh, how she wished she could rewind her life and begin all over again. She would've done everything differently. "I had just joined the World's Edge and I saw an opportunity to gain power and I latched onto it. I challenged Kahlua, who bested me through the incredible use of amulets and more." This was no lie. In reality, Kahlua was perhaps the most peaceful soul on the planet. Even when Aurelia had been vigorously attacking her, Kahlua tried her hardest not to use physical force. Instead, she tended to re-aim any magical attacks by Aurelia back onto her. At the end of the day, Aurelia had been attacking herself the entire challenge. "Amidst the chaos, she had kicked Shilva, flinging her small body hard and far." Aurelia replays the event in her mind. She remembers clearly the weakening of Shilva's voice within her head, the silencing of the bond, and then the loss of half of her soul. "She was dying rapidly, so I fled to the Dragon's Throat. I called for healers, anyone, to come help. By the time I was able to get help, she was departed." Aurelia remembers the ache in her legs from running miles and miles to the Throat. She remembers Shilva's lifeless body on the orange sand, the eyes of a sad audience watching as the hot summer sand burnt the dead snake's body. Aurelia's mind felt foggy as she recited the events that transpired to Otem, who was most likely getting more information than she desired. "I buried her shortly after." The grave was in the World's Edge. She had snuck back and buried the snake in the Edge when no one was watching. The burial was short, somber, and tiring. After that, the vixen had vanished yet again for quite some time. The loss of a companion would do that to someone.
With her story complete, they waited for the Rift to come alive, to steal her magic or items. Suddenly, a realization dawned upon her- my child. "Does the Rift take magic from.." She wasn't at all sure how to word this. "Fetuses?" Aurelia, Helovia's worst mother, was expecting her fifth child.
another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated.
Had Aurelia not look so serious, Otem might have started to laugh.
Fight?
Kahlua?
"I -" She stammered, still completely thunderstruck at the idea of Kahlua entering into a challenge in the first place. "My mother challenged Kahlua once, and she had Tembovu accept the challenge. She wouldn't even try. I wonder if that's because of what happened with you..."
Otem shuddered unconsciously at her mind began to wander down the pathway of what it would be like to be without Pandora. She had found the owl at such a young age, that she almost had no memories that didn't include her. Her mind stuttered, unable to even form an idea of what it would be like to lose a companion. How broken it must make you feel ... Although it didn't excuse Aurelia's bizarre mood swings, it certainly made them more understandable. Her soul was broken - and there was no easy road back from a wound like that.
"I am so sorry.." The tribrid offered, knowing the words would do not good, especially after all this time, but feeling obligated to offer them just the same.
At the mention of a fetus, Otem merely stared. There was too much that had happened which had already shocked and surprised her, such that she was nearly all out of expressions of awe. So Aurelia was pregnant. At least Otem knew that she didn't carry one of her siblings inside of herself, which was a relief. "I actually don't know. I've never seen anyone come through pregnant before. Perhaps that will make it take pity on you?" Even as she said the words she doubted them. Whatever force was here did not seem to discriminate, but merely took what it wanted. Although Otem liked to believe that it was her mother's sacrifice that had kept her safe during her transition, it was probably nothing more than blind luck.
Not wanting to fill the silence with more reminiscing (look where it had gotten them so far), Otem turned defiantly to the trees that surrounded them. "HEY." She called boldly into the wilderness. "We don't have all day. But we do have our orbs. So do your BEST." Wait. Why was she taunting it? Quickly she cleared her throat. "Or .. you know .. don't?"
12-23-2017, 09:21 AM (This post was last modified: 12-23-2017, 09:25 AM by Aurelia.)
AURELIA
It was satisfying for the aurelian woman to know Kahlua never wanted to fight again. In some strange, twisted way Aurelia thought of the unwillingness to fight as a sign of deference towards Shilva. She silently wondered how the bicolored mare was. She could be dead right now, her corpse rotting with Helovia. Yet, she could also be happy, experiencing her best life. After Aurelia lost the challenge, she began to see Kahlua in a new light. At first, she resented the mare with every fiber of her being but things change- horses change. Where there was malice now reigns respect.
As she recounts the story, her heart breaks all over again. If she had just done things differently- better- Shilva would be here. If she had done things better maybe she wouldn't be worrying now about how the horses here would greet her; instead of dreading the moment she must reconnect with a Helovian that knows her personally, she could be looking forward to it. Had she done one single thing differently in her past, her life could be entirely different in the present. Aurelia's heart has fared plenty of traumas, but it could be worse, she could be dead. Then again, maybe it would be better if the bright mare was dead. Afterall, it seems she only leaves a trail of other's tears and heartbreak in her wake.
Otem offers Aurelia her somber condolences which are replied to with a quiet, distant "thank you." The truth is, it is nice to hear other's condolences and know that they care for others, even complete strangers, but it doesn't do much to satisfy the dark abyss that has been with her since the incident. Still, the company of an alert listener who offers their condolences is far better than lurking around alone, drowning in a pool of anguish and tears.
Pregnancy seems to be a surprising concept to Otem, who just stares at Aurelia as if she was some strange, foreign mutant (and though she is foreign and rather odd, she is surely no mutant). It was an odd time to be pregnant, not just because of the portal and all the havoc that had occurred in Helovia's last days, but because she would've given birth sometime in winter which is a rather unheard of time to give birth. Winter foals were often sick or dead upon birth. However, it seemed to be Tallsun here, yet Aurelia honestly was not sure because everything she'd learned of the Rift proved to be the complete opposite of what she expected. One thing she was certain of was that a tallsun baby was much more likely to survive than a frostfall baby. The edges of her lips curled upwards into a small smile as she realized her baby might have a better chance of surviving here, during this time. "I do hope so." It would be a huge relief if the presence Otem speaks of takes pity on her and her fetus.
Since Aurelia's initial reaction to Otem, everything had been progressively getting better. Aurelia had opened up to the mare and now the convers- 'HEY.' The loud word that had started their conversation off on the wrong foot was now back and better than ever before. Otem wasn't just trying to get a strangers attention like she had been with Aurelia, she was calling for the precense. That particular way of greeting had rubbed Aurelia the completely wrong way, so what in the world made the mare-filly want to do it again? It didn't end there. She then proceeds to taunt, her voice loud and clear. Do your best. Aurelia could not fathom what she was hearing. Otem wasn't the one dangling like a fresh piece of meat in front of a hungry lion, Aurelia was. With no idea how to react to the sudden, loud outburst, she just stood there. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth had opened into an 'O' shape as her mind registered what she was hearing. The coffee-colored girl then backtracks and offers a hesitant 'or don't?' but it's too late. She cannot undo her scream or taunt, and now Aurelia will face the consequences. "I'm literally going to die," she mumbles quietly, her eyes quickly scanning every. part. of the scenery around them, expecting the Thing, to jump out and rip her head off. This fucking mare-filly would be the death of her.
ooc; i changed my mind and decided to post again because i am overflowing with muse, but i dont want to create another thread in another board because i wont know how aurelia will be altered and i dont want to write her 'as is' when she may be changed/mutated/something.. so here's another reply! you don't have to reply if you would rather wait, it's completely up to you c:
12-23-2017, 05:03 PM (This post was last modified: 12-23-2017, 05:04 PM by Rift Presence.)
There's a play between the shadows and light. Only brightness can control the shadows…and it takes darkness to define light.
And the shadows are sluggish — sated — it seemed, for they are slow to oozed towards the chatter of voices; drawn in by the promise light fire magic to engulf in these hungry, shadowed fangs.
A low, thrumming… growl? hiss? There’s not quite a word for the noise that begins to grow around the two talking equids (—or has it been there all along?—). Wait! Oh yes, there’s three: three beating hearts; three gleaming souls; three tempting, tasty meals. The thrum builds in pressure, but not in volume, pressing against the ears and eyes heart—
But it breaks to a whine. A high-pitched whimper akin to the begging of a mangy mongrel denied a meal. The orbs, small pieces of hope never made smaller by sharing, appear to glow brightly with excitement.
…and then the shadows withdraw, clinging to the sharp bark of trees. Silent, but watchful.
Magic:
Offensive: With anger, back hooves are set aflame with gold-edged, black flames that burn self and others. One spiteful spear of darkness lashes at your hooves, leaving a mocking mark of the light that keeps the dark hunger at bay.
Items:
Vanity: A feather given to her by the Helovian Earth God which is tied in her mane and changes color with the Riftian seasons.
Vanity: Bear god crystal
Vanity: A gold chain with a locket at the end that is inscribed with a small sun on the inside, the wearer sparkles to a certain degree depending on the strength of the sun. This feather from another god mocks the Riftian darkness, and so it twists it to match its own seasons.
| ACCEPTANCE NOTES : Unnamed Filly|
Magic:
Offensive: Upon command, her hide turns into a fire that can cause burns. When burning another, she briefly feels the burn inflicted on herself. Unborn are the tastiest of meals; so the darkness pulses once to touch a single, protruding rib of Aurelia's pregnant belly, briefly licking the burgeoning life inside.
*Please refer to this thread when making the foal's account so we can add this magic to her.
another mind, another soul, another body to grow old. it's not complicated.
Otem had forgotten the noise.
The sound of whatever presence lay dormant in this place until a suitable meal came along. The autumn-girl felt as though she could feel the vibration of its need and want reverberating in her bones. It made her want to crumple into a ball, but simultaneously run away. Caught in the midst of these conflicting feelings, all Otem could do was remain where she was. Without realizing it, she began holding her breath, and as the whining sound grew louder, her wings rose as if to cover her ears and block out the sound.
But of course there was no blocking it out.
It felt like it was everywhere.
The orb at Otem's side pulses brightly, but even so, the darkness reaches out for Aurelia's belly. Otem thinks that she is whimpering, but can't quite tell as the sound of the shadow turns to a whining sort of yip. "The baby-" Otem manages to mumble, but it appears that the shadow has already withdrawn.
From what Otem can see, Aurelia looks fine. Her trinkets and feathers all appear to be where they were, unharmed. But then again things are not always as they appear in the Rift.
"Are you alright? Did you - did it - " She breaks off, looking around, wondering whether or not Aurelia will get the chance to question the presence, or whether it is truly gone for now.
The crescendoing thrum of a grumble encapsulated the area. The noise demanded to be heard. It was intense nearly to the point of pain. Otem's wings moved to her ears in an attempt to block out the sonance, but Aurelia was frozen in place. The being wasn't a being as much as it was a collection of dark ebony and navy shadows. They pooled before the pegasus, demanding to be regarded, heard,felt. The pressure the creature emits begins to augment and Aurelia feels it everywhere. The orbs that bobbed quietly around them begin to pulse brighter, sensing the accretion of their new company.
The fog-like shadows hadn't done much except linger loudly around them until one tendril lashes out aggressively at her back hooves like a whip. Aurelia is surprised by this and begins to move from her frozen state, a loud squeal flying from her lips as she recoils away from it. She is not quicker than the shadows. Her hooves are targeted by the thing and despite her frantic attempts to move away from it, it still reaches her. The familiar warmth of fire leaves her body leaving her cold. The fire that used to be so readily on command is no longer there, replaced with the icy feeling of loss. Had it stripped her of her magic? She was both perplexed and dismayed. Amidst the chaos of the shadows, the only thing that occupies her mind now is fire.
However, the shadows are not done yet. Another tendril reaches forward excitedly towards her lower flank. Aurelia desperately wills her skin to ignite as it had so many times before, but it doesn't and the darkness is able to reach her side effortlessly. It kisses her skin quickly with much more softness than it had lashed at her hooves. It's whimpering now. Why she will never know. Truthfully, this thing is more complex than Aurelia had ever imagined. Otem asks quietly about Aurelia's baby, worried for the fetus. "I.. I don't know." Her voice stutters, but as she begins to think about her child, broken and damaged in her body because of this thing, a new wave of anger forms within her.
The fucking thing begins to retreat, but Aurelia refuses to allow it to leave without trying to attack it in some way first. She lurches forward, anger and adrenaline coursing through her body like heroin. "You," she spits at the shadows. "Come. Back." Her voice is venomous and radiates hate as her body lurches forward, a string of angrily-spoken words and curses falling from her lips. As her body enters a thicker part of the forest, the branches scrape her body and snap from their trunks as she barrels through them. Small scrapes begin dotting her body from the constant lash of the sticks. Tears threaten to fall from her eyes from the pain, but also from the confusion and sadness this land had already caused for her.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked dejectedly as she slows to a walk, eventually halting. "Why are you taking my fire?" Her voice is a somber whisper now, a pool of so many emotions.
But... Where is Otem? Aurelia cranes her head to look in the direction she had just come from. Was Otem following her, or had she given up on the fiery pegasus as she ran off? Her brow furrows and she exhales loudly. The lighting was certainly dimmer here than where she stood before, but Aurelia would still be able to see the shadows should they reappear. "Hello?" She called out lightly, to Otem, to the shadows, to everyone, and to no one. If she was alone in this forest now, she wasn't quite sure what she would do.
The Portal
