the Rift


[OPEN] Returning Home
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#1


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Gaucho hardly noticed the distance or time that the flight to the Arch ate up. His mind was far too lost in thoughts of guilt and failure. Elsa had told him that the beauty had died, and he could hardly believe it. It was far harder to stomach than Vesta's death, even though she had been a warrior. Vesta had been gone, off fulfilling her own agenda as she was want to do. The mare was headstrong and mobile as the breeze, and nearly as unpredictable. Her death had been as well. But Phaedra? The glistening mare rarely strayed from their borders. Had Gaucho been so focused on protecting his family that his tunnel vision had actually left them worse off? Was this his fault? Why had she been this far North? Who was it she was with?

These thoughts and many like them tossed and tumbled around his primitive brain as he and the rest of the group from the Throat flew North.

Landing easily in the snow, the dun snorted. Flaming wings stayed stretched outwards from his body, and, in a flurry of wings suddenly released three arcs of fire that radiated outwards upon the ground. Birdsong was rapidly approaching and so the ground was not as hardened as it could be. The fire that spewed from his darkened feathers helped to melt some of the snow making their footing more sure and the walk easier. Ahead, amidst the hoof prints lay the two bodies, preserved by the cold. A chill ran up and down Gaucho's spine as he looked down upon the murdered golden girl.

In that moment, Gaucho reserved to do better by his herd. He would know them all, know their strengths and weaknesses. He would be there for them, always.

[For members of the Throat and the Basin to gather the bodies of Phaedra and Tolio ]






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FOXX

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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#2
Ophelia the Forsaken


Here she was again at the grave of one she loved, staring down at the soulless vessel which once contained her friend. How many bodies of loved ones would she have to see before she was allowed the peace of a swift end? Ophelia frowned, feeling the glassy tears well up in her eyes, but they remained unshed, fixtures as firm and resolute as she had become. The lines of her body were tight, strained, withholding every desire to crumble to her knees and weep for the compounding loss.

She had arrived by the sunset, walking as the flames from Gaucho's feathers erupted like arcs of plasma from the sun. The hardened gaze of her eyes swept over his figure before pressing onward. He was handsome, of that she had absolutely no doubt, but Torleik's persistence and humor had a way of bringing a smile to her lips without her heart knowing. Just the thought made her want to smile again, but she pressed forward toward the cave.

Ice and snow were typical for the pale princess, and she slid easily into the cave, overwhelmed by the blood and death. She matched the scene perfectly, capable of blending like a true hunter. The crimson ends of her tresses wound their way without flaw through blood trails, body reflecting the blue light as she stood before the bodies. Two more. Here she thought she had seem them all, but it appeared the god's were all too correct. Someone in this land was killing, and indiscriminately.

"This marks two of the Grey who have passed," she growled angrily, eats flattening against her skull. She barely paid attention to Gaucho's presence. "Ailith and now Phaedra." What have I done?" Ophelia glanced up at the stallion who she felt more than saw. His aurora was large enough to feel in the room, not necessarily magnetic as overwhelming. "I'll help you bring her to wherever you want."

Credits: Image by perfectperfection @ DA




Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.


Please tag me in every response!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#3


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Perhaps he should have fumbled, said something, made some gesture to show that he acknowledged the awkwardness that was between them, but he didn't. He had apologized to Ophelia once with a sincerity that few ever received from him. He had attacked her unfairly then, driven by an unjustified assumption about who she was and what her intentions were. Could the same be said now, with regard to his capture of her spy? Time would tell. Still, he did note the fact that she was here. It was praiseworthy, that she had the capacity to set aside what still lingered between the two of them, the violent tension of their past actions, to aid him. Ophelia was .. good in a way that Gaucho couldn't articulate. It was not a fuzzy or warm goodness, not a would always do the right thing simply because it was right sort of goodness. But it was far easier to say what Ophelia wasn't, than what she was.

And for now, the only was Gaucho was concerned with was the fact that she was here.

His gaze rose to look at her as she seemingly materialized behind him. Stabbing him in the back, he decided was not her style. A black ear focused on her as she spoke as his stormy gaze returned to the broken bodies. He knew of the Grey, had aided them in the past. Did he remember seeing Phaedra? He couldn't remember, although he did recall that that was the first time he had seen Ophelia. The thought made him grunt, he had forgotten about that. Had forgotten that Ophelia had ventured to the Throat to speak with Kri in the past ... Their passed was more intermingled than he had previously thought. "Gray.." He mumbled under his breath, nodding his skull. Coincidence? He wasn't sure.

"Maybe your spy do this." He grunted, turning her way. "My warrior see her take things from the dead." His nostrils flared now, trying to discern Ophelia's reaction to his subtle charge. Knowing the magic she possessed he was almost certainly she would conceal whatever she knew. Still, she was easy to look at if nothing else.




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FOXX

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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#4
Ophelia the Forsaken


Ophelia was not perfect, and her imperfections tainted and fought against her gentle nature. She was insecure in her self-image, unsure of her skills in battle, unworthy of attention and certainly not beautiful. When attacked, she fought back, held grudges, and her vengeance was always paid in full - doubled, even. This made her a frighteningly bloodthirsty enemy but a noble and loyal ally. She collected knowledge like a warrior collected titles, keen on the ins and outs of Helovia and frequently using them to her own advantage.

The consummate spy, she was loved by many but respected by even more, hiding in plain sight. Her strange personality and bizarre habits from her flawless memories made her even more distanced from those around her, setting her apart like that strange child in the background who drew pictures in silence instead of playing the team games. In fact, she barely even knew herself, her feelings unpredictable, wild and untamed. Perhaps that was why she was so difficult to define.

Either way, whatever ill will she harbored against Gaucho for nearly running her off a cliff to her death was not worth the respect she held for Phaedra - love, even. He had apologized, of course, and she had helped him find his memories, but that did not mean that the fear of death had faded (and thus her anger, for they were intimately connected). For others, memories faded, but for her, the thought of knowing she could die as her hoof flirted with the edge of that mountain was as clear today as it was then.

She had no response to his initial murmuring of the band she had lead so long ago, and instead, she focused on Phaedra. Ophelia took the accusation in stride, weighing the logic of his reasoning. "What do the dead need their trinkets for?" she asked, shifting her weight ever so slightly and knocking forelock from her gaze. "They will never use them again - I find it intelligent to scavenge." She glanced up at Gaucho, her expression neutral.

"Though I highly doubt Hotaru would kill Phaedra. I believe the child to be one of Phaedra's, though they have grown and saw them only at a distance long ago..." she trailed, frowning.

Phaedra's final words to Ophelia rang in her head, bouncing with anguish. "But never again shall I come to you with love in my heart." She had said. Another abandoned. Another relationship ruined. Emotion overwhelmed her cold exterior, and she hitched in a painful breath, turning her gaze firmly away as she tried to swallow back tears. "Phaedra gave up on me. I will not do the same to her."


Credits: Image by perfectperfection @ DA




Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.


Please tag me in every response!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#5


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Her words seemed shockingly gruesome, like some muddy hand print upon a wedding dress. For all of his primitive and primal urges, Gaucho had been ingrained - perhaps indoctrinated - with procedure, custom, and ritual. Taking things from the body of the dead struck the Wildfire as unnatural and against the Gods. That Ophelia would approve of such a thing sharply clashed with the approval he had felt towards her only moments ago. Who and what she was once again danced and buzzed in his mind, failing to be pinned down, bursting from each box he tried to put her in.

Shaking his large head, he snorted. "Trinkets go to family then." He ventured simply, although the judgement was clear in his voice. However as Ophelia continued, his massive blue-striped shoulders shrugged. If Hotaru really was Phaedra's daughter then .. well. His wings spread from his sides, rising and falling indicating his thoughts: well there you go then.

As Ophelia turned away the movement caused the dun's gaze to follow her. He heard her breath catch. Did it surprise him that Ophelia had let her down? Perhaps .. but even moreso what surprised him was that Phaedra had had any attachments at all. Her time within the Throat had been .. dramatic. Her powers were almost always active, a shiny facade that drew everyone in to a place where the former spy could hold them. Sohalia had mentioned before that Phaedra had a lover .. clearly it was the cinnamon stallion who lay frozen on the ice, and that she bore daughters, but .. Phaedra always seemed distant. Cold. Sohalia had never mentioned why. Did Soh even know of the relationship between the Foresaken and the Opulent?

Perhaps Ophelia was the reason why the golden beauty was so hardened in the first place.

As Ophelia's gaze was averted to hide the tears in her eyes, Gaucho took the opportunity to covet the Foresaken's body. While he wasn't particularly fond of the red that tinged her mane and tail, he felt almost more drawn to her because of it. She was not his type - oh sure she was well proportioned and muscled but .. that was not what drew him to her. It was the shift that he often saw in her dual coloured gaze, the shift between what felt like multiple facades of the same personality. The way she could compartmentalize, how she could defend and attack, speak with grace or anger. Gaucho's shoulder twitched as he considered moving closer to her, but thought better of it. Likely there would never be a time where strife did not separate them. Oh well.

"Not know you live in Basin." He offered, a weak attempt at being conversational as he moved towards Phaedra. Her body glistened now, but only with ice and frost.



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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#6
Ophelia the Forsaken


Ophelia raised a brow, looking around at the bodies. "They are starting to smell." she said plainly, wondering how this creature of violence and blood developed such a strong connection with the dead. She supposed that it was all based in ritual, and from what she saw of his homeland through his memories, she wouldn't be surprised. The backwards lot of morons had given the stallion some sort of potion and he had forgotten who he was. Who did that? Just for the sake of ceremony? Tradition? Nonsense.

"We die as we are born: with nothing and as no one," she stated factually, looking down at the bodies. "If they did not die with their family, if they have no family, and if they did not leave their trinket to their children, then it is silly to have them go to waste. Lighting could strike you down tomorrow. Have you made arrangements for your belongings?" she asked pointedly. Ophelia would assume no. She had no belongings to give, and thus had to qualms about her death.

"Life is fleeting. We leave behind bones and items of value that mean nothing once we are dead."

The cling to life was foolish. The world's timeline was long, and they were spots on a horizon. To think that they could change the world was stupid. You lived and you lived well, and that was the beauty of their condition. Legacy was left with children, bloodlines, whether deserved or not. Even then, your legacy could be a curse, a blight upon your children, just as the crimson in her hair was a taint, evidence of the warlords who sired her line. She could not choose her past, just as she could not choose her fate.

She took a moment to gather her emotions, feeling foolish for their strength to bear so obviously. Ophelia ground her teeth together, taking a deep, shaking breath. Gaucho spoke then, a question in a statement. She nodded once, slowly. "I was invited to live there," she replied, thinking of Torleik. Ophelia was rarely a good conversationalist.


Credits: Image by perfectperfection @ DA




Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.


Please tag me in every response!

Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#7
Are you ready for
The perfect storm

When Gaucho had called for members of the herd to follow him and assist with the gathering of Phaedra's body, Ampere was quick to step up. She had not known the mare, wasn't even sure she had ever met her, but she knew that the body he spoke of was the one with the fallen companion. If Gaucho would shoulder the mare, then she would take the other part of her faded soul - so easily forgotten about in the shadow of the dead horse.

Gaucho was eager to leave, it seemed, and left before everyone had been assembled. She'd watched him go and decided to lend him some privacy. He hadn't reacted this way with the other fallen pegasus, perhaps this one meant something to him. Ampere might have felt jealousy, given the corpse this time was a mare, a pretty mare (even in death) with an assortment of attracting talents (not that Ampere knew of those). However the blue did not feel that all too familiar monster lurking inside her chest. She couldn't, not when the mare was dead and gone, there wasn't anything to be jealous of in that.

We all handle grief in different ways. Gaucho's tending to the corpse seemed to be his, a foreign idea to her. In the wilds of her home you lay were you fell and nurtured whatever animal or plant was nearby. Those who knew, or rather those who cared though, gathered near the body to say what they would and sing until their hearts were lifted of the individual's weight. Ampere had already done that, of sorts, when she visited the cadaver the first time, although she'd had no words or tune to part on the pallid mare, not knowing her.

Still, there was a sort of beauty to what Gaucho wanted to accomplish.

Deciding he'd flown far enough alone Ampere had slipped into the skies as well, glancing back at the gradually disappearing sands. Faintly the thought crossed her mind if it was wise for two capable warriors like Gaucho and herself to both leave the herd at the same time for travel - had he considered that in his sorrow touched state? Perhaps he had meant for anyone expect her to come with him? Or maybe she was valuing her talents too well - she certainly wouldn't be enough to withstand and invasion. So she flew, letting that strand of thoughts blow away with the flight wind.


Black and blue wings lightly buffeted the air around the five gathered, her descent slow and casual, despite Ophelia's presence. Ampere did not dislike Ophelia, just they could not agree, but many of Ampere's acquaintances were that way. Gently her hooves touched down on the tundra, wings slipping against her back easily, while blue eyes cast abut from Sultan to Lady. They seemed in the midst of conversation, none of which she'd caught, but it seemed awkward to hover silently beside them.

"I can help with the bodies," she said simply, her gaze turning to them, lingering on the secretary bird. "I'd like to carry her companion," she murmured quietly,though strongly.

[If you guys wanted to continue with this further today, I'm going to be gone all day so post around Ampere, she's going to pretty much be quiet and you have my permission to say she helped/used her moving magic to load the bodies for them (if desired). ]


A M P E R E
HALO OF COLD HAIR & _LIGHTNING

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Magic or force permitted any time, aside from death.

Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#8


Gaucho had made it clear that she would travel, likely alone, to the Arch to help retrieve the bodies of her parents. It was a sobering invitation, but one she greatly appreciated. Gaucho had grown on her relatively quickly, despite her continued reservations concerning his rather tactless ways. It had taken a lot longer to travel out, considering those who had deemed to follow Gaucho were flighted, and Bucephalus had captured her attention at the Oasis. It was a long trek, reminiscent of the one she'd almost literally just taken when Gaucho had captured her and walked her to the Throat. Even so, she could hardly keep herself from running until her heart burst in the cavity of her chest, over-stressed. She was going home. She would see Arya, and Rhiannon, and Mirabella, and Ophelia...her heart ached to see her daughter, to hold her close and never let go. The two of them had always been aware that Hotaru's rank put her in, at times, a dangerous position. Only, nearly losing her daughter to death (that truly should have taken her, Hotaru shuddered to think) had made separation so much harder.

The heat of the desert melted away to familiar chill of northern lands, and her easy jog quickened to a helpless canter. She'd hardly rested at all, needing so badly to feel free again. Despite being held by the auras of the wilds, it would not be until she was in the borders of her rightful home that she would truly feel free and safe once more.

Snow crunched beneath her hooves, pale golden mane whipping against the arch of her shoulder as she huffed each breath, gossamer clouds obscuring her vision on each exhale. It mattered little to her, her drive to make it home exponentially larger than the physical exhaustion that wore on her. Had she even slept once she was in the Throat? Hotaru couldn't remember. Maybe that meant that she hadn't. Rhiannon was sure to scold her, but Hotaru couldn't find it in herself to dread that, helplessly excited to be able to be scolded at all.

The arch looms above her, and she puts on more speed, until her lungs burn with familiar cold air and snow sprays up like fountains of white from her hooves. There are only three collected round the bodies of her parents, and she cannot help but feel disappointed. Phaedra, at least, had been so important during her life. Maybe not to Hotaru, but she had been revolutionary nonetheless. Was this all that would gather to honor them? Ophelia, Gaucho, and a blue pegasus she did not recognize.

Approaching, she caught her breath, and moved to stand nearer to Gaucho than Ophelia. Technically still his captive, until he deemed to inform Ophelia about his change of mind. Even still, she spoke with her eyes to her Lady, relief thick on her face to see her once again. Their words are late but linger in her ears, useless as they do not include her. Hotaru turned her little crown to Gaucho, gazing at him steadily as if trying to find words. "Thank you, Gaucho. For bringing me. For...everything." Soft, murmured for his ears only. Her bichromatic eyes never leave him, the only silent respect she will give while surrounded by extra company.

Words come from the newcomer, and Hotaru unintentionally bristles, though she does not reveal anything aside the clench of her teeth. Maneuvering to stand near Stella, she sucks in a shaky breath before turning to look at Ampere. "As much as it pains me for you to take Stella...it is not my place to keep her in a home my mother never wanted." It is very reluctantly spoken, biting even. Stella had raised Hotaru in ways Phaedra never could have. She had been flying high above on every adventure she'd partaken with her twin sister. Watched over Ru while she'd been sleeping, or when Phaedra was away. Stella was more of a mother to her at times than Phaedra was.

Sinking to her knees, she pressed the flat lower half of her face to the cold body of the secretary bird. Her breath shudders once more, but she controls it, even as a crystalline tear slips in solitude down her cheek. "I love you, Stella," she murmurs, even though the companion has no way of hear her. She remains on her knees a few moments more, lifting her eyes instead to gaze over the body of her mother. Lifting to her hooves, she tears herself away from them, blinking away the sting of further tears. Turns to face the dark mistress with the sapphire lining.

"Treat her with care. She...means more than you realize." It is clear that she is speaking of Stella, and she hates to have to leave her watcher and protector to a stranger. At least she appeared to care for companions as a whole as much as Hotaru had cared for Stella singularly. Straying, she returns to Gaucho's side, silent and awaiting whatever would come from her presence.

image credits
Table by Nicole (Niki)
[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

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Plot with me here!
Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#9


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Gaucho merely shrugged at Ophelia's attempt at couching morality in something so simple. His was an archaic way of thinking, dictated by years of custom. There was no deeper meaning to Gaucho, and the only obligation morality impressed upon him was the one his forefathers told him of. Perhaps given more time and a larger vocabulary he might have argued the point. That Ophelia would reduce life to something so physical was a bizarre notion. Clearly that couldn't be the case, we could not simply be our bodies. Were there not souls that invigorated the flesh? One could not be a materialist and yet embrace magic. Whatever magic reduced down to - energy or electricity if you like - surely our souls were the same. Perhaps it was correct to say that our flesh merely grew and stretched as life carried itself out, and when we failed to continue breathing our cells could not be said to have made any important or meaningful changes but .. to say we die with nothing couldn't be true.

But instead of all the things Gaucho might have said, he merely grunted ignorantly, tail flicking behind him.

The Wildfire might have pressed Ophelia about living in the Basin - might have - were it not for Ampere's arrival. He watched the glance that Ampere directed towards Ophelia, mildly wondering if the two knew each other. Given Ophelia's dragon he assumed that the two couldn't be more than acquaintances, for the dun believed Ampere probably couldn't hold a friendship where one slaved a companion. Or whatever word it was she used. Gaucho still didn't really understand it.

The next to arrive and capture his attention was Hotaru. He was glad that she had arrived, for he hadn't wanted to remove the body of her mother without first allowing her time with the body, should she want it. As she moved to stand more in proximity with him, than Ophelia, the Wildfire not for the first time felt a surge of respect blossom in his chest. That she had come here when she could have fled was not so surprising. He had already granted her her freedom and this place was on her way home. Given that her parents lay dead here it was not a shock that she would follow his instructions. However that she would remain with him rather than defiantly standing with one from her home was ... rather incredible. What would he do to her if she hadn't? Nothing in all likelihood, and she very probably knew that. Warmth flickered in her gaze as his focus was placed upon her. His darkened muzzle pulled towards his chest as he nodded, having no words to say in response to her offering of thanks, but deciding that none were needed. The appreciation and respect that lingered in his dark gaze was more articulate than his words could ever be.

As the pink spy moved to the body of the companion, Mara slithered forward, her steel coloured face peering out through Gaucho's dark forelock. Her forked tongue flickered from behind her scaled lips as she watched this display. Selfishly the snake thought of all those she had a relationship with - Cera, Sohalia - and wondered if they would cry over her body were she to ever die. Mara had never looked over Gaucho's offspring the way Stella had with Phaedra's, there had been no need for it, and for the first time the companion wondered if Gaucho had been holding her back from experiencing all facets of life. Previously she thought that she hadn't but ... but this warmth and affection was seemingly not the sort of thing her bonded would ever put her in a position to receive. Hissing slightly, she returned to the warmth of his mane and his skull.

"Ampere called mother of companions." Gaucho offered as consolation to Hotaru. He would take Stella with him, nothing about the girl's display had changed his mind with that regard, but he could offer her the knowledge that Ampere was probably the best one to leave the companion with. "She will be careful."

After a moment, the dun flared his nostrils looking to Ophelia and exhaling. "Pink spy and Gaucho talk." He began, still having never asked for Hotaru's name. "She free to return with you. Gaucho realize that it not her who should have been captured. Spy only following orders to try and steal from Gaucho's family." His gaze flickered to Hotaru for a moment before returning to Ophelia. "Gaucho should have taken Basin leader." He concluded. For such a strong beast, the admission of his mistake rolled off of his tongue rather easily. "Who lead Basin?" He inquired, surely unready for the answer he was about to receive.


TAG: @[Name] | # WC | Notes if needed.

FOXX

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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#10
Ophelia the Forsaken


Ophelia was silent when Gaucho did not respond, hearing the whisper of wings settle nearby. Ampere. She watched the beautiful, blue and jaded mare offer her services to carry the fallen bird companion of Phaedra, and she was not surprised. The large, fiery stallion indicted, as Hotaru approached, that she was known as the mother of companions, a title which Ophelia found rather ironic. How could she be the mother of companions when she condemned them all to death with her own crusade against the very idea of a bond? Part of her wanted to chuckle, but here was not the place.

The pale princess was surprised that Gaucho would just let Hotaru go, just because she was following orders. And what orders were those, she wondered? This called for a talk with Deimos, she mused, humming thoughtfully to herself. Why was she stealing from the Dragon's Throat? What did the Basin need that they had? Certainly they could hold their own in war, but Gaucho was not one to be trifled with, especially since his answer to almost every slight (imagined or not) was to beat the perpetrator into the ground with his formidable strength.

Then, she had to roll her eyes slightly. So, it was not enough that their spies had seen Hotaru, that she had been challenged for. It was not enough that this petty back and forth game meant nothing - oh no, he had to go for the leaders and amplify this slight tenfold until war fell upon them over a tiny trinket. Though, as he said, he seemed very fond of these material items, and Ophelia sighed, smiling bitterly to herself before lifting her gaze.

"I do," she said with a loaded smile, standing a little taller, proud. There was no need to bring Deimos' name into this, currently, even though it must have been his orders to cause this entire drama. The Reaper needed to get out more. But, then again, Gaucho was like a bond-villain, giving up his entire plan of taking a Basin leader even before its culmination. "I know now we have very different ideas of what these items mean to you, and how little they mean to me," she mused.

"But we are not allies, Gaucho. When was the last time you ventured this far north? Saw outside of your sands? You expect some sort of civility you have not come to ask for, and then you condemn us for acting in our best interest?" she asked pointedly, frowning.

"You would do the same. You have done the same." Let him not forget that his most secret thoughts were not safe, not from her eyes.

"I look forward to seeing your Sohalia at the next meeting for the Academy."


Credits: Image by perfectperfection @ DA




Undertow has come to take me. Guided by the blazing sun. Look at everything around us. Look at everything we've done.
Please. Anyone. I don't think I can save myself. I'm drowning.


Please tag me in every response!

Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#11
Are you ready for
The perfect storm

Ampere is so stunned at first that she does not respond, which is probably for the better. That the pink spy, whom Ampere just preferred to known as stupid bitch, wanted to stop her from taking the companion wasn't something Ampere had expected. She was first and foremost stunned that the stupid bitch was here, given she was a prisoner of the Throat, willingly (hence the nickname). Although Ampere didn't care enough of what the prisoner did, willing to turn a blind eye of she waltzed out free of chains - as it should be.

What mostly startled Ampere was that Hotaru even gave a damn about the companion. In fact, Ampere was inclined to think she was faking it, doing nothing more than instigating (her tone certainly had been), but as Ampere watched the pink mare sink to the snow beside the corpse, fawning over it more than the dead horses, she thought perhaps not. Although she didn't fully understand everything, by the words spoken, Ampere gathered that the dead mare was the pink spy's mother. It made sense that she would be here then - Gaucho was not heartless.

It's a new idea to Ampere as she observes, never having considered what part a bonded companion might play in the life of the children born by the bonded horse. The scene was certainly moving, although in some ways awful to see - Hotaru barely even seemed to mourn her mother. Still, this little insight into growing up with a bonded did not change Ampere's stance. The truth was Setlla lay dead of nothing more than a broken soul, and was loved by a horse's child, rather than her own chicks. It was a moving scene, but it was not right.

Then of course the final thing that ruffled Ampere was that Hotaru was almost unwilling to let her take the companion, at least at first. It was only Gaucho's smooth and even tones that kept Ampere rooted and silent, managing some modicum of self control. She wanted to tell the stupid bitch that none of this was Stella's home, and that Ampere definitely knew she meant more, but the Mother of Companions was not unreasonable, just difficult.

"I will," Ampere replied softly to Hotaru, truthful and sincere. "I promise."

The conversation redirected towards Ophelia as she and Gaucho talked politics. She smiled at her sultan when he not only let the pink spy go, but when he openly admitted to being wrong, a difficult thing to do, she knew. The elation did not last long however (when does it ever?) and was quickly replaced with a frown when the Wildfire continued to insist on imprisoning someone.

Not just anyone though, a leader. Horror struck Ampere like a bolt of lightning, only furthered by the information Ophelia so calmly divulged. "Is he willing to incite war over a dead body?!" Ampere wondered frantically, her feathers bristling as Ophelia spoke, as calm as the ice she governed. Tensely Ampere stepped towards Gaucho, her position a show of support, but also an attempt to be near him, to reach out and draw him back if needed. This was not a good reason to stir the waters, and this was definitely not the time or place to do so. She thought he might know as much, but she couldn't be sure, sometimes he was as rash as she was under the heat of the moment.


A M P E R E
HALO OF COLD HAIR & _LIGHTNING

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Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#12


Nothing more had been anticipated by the lovely maiden than the stoic nod that dipped Gaucho's pierced nares towards his chest, for there are far more pressing matters at hand - things like politics, peace and forgiveness. From what Hotaru had noted of the fierce leader, he did not seem the type to let his one-track mind wander when his family's safety was at stake. The exact reason why he'd stolen Hotaru away, after all. So in return all she offers is a breath, a silence that is sure to be read far more plainly than whatever fanciful words she could conjure. Such eloquence is unfitting, for they will not honor the memory of her parents, nor will they bring them back to her so she may atone for the wrongs she had cast upon them. Would they forgive her, in the afterlife? Was the love of a parent strong enough to withstand the abandonment of a child who had declared eternal hatred for them?

She is shaken from her thoughts by her unwillingness to leave Stella's side. She knows that Stella would never have loved the Arch, nor the Basin. Selfishness was no foreign idea to her. It was easy to admit she selfishly wanted to bury Stella herself - what did the bitch know? So she was the supposed Mother of Companions? That meant nothing to Hotaru, because Ampere didn't know Stella as Ru did. She never would. But with a grit of her teeth and the sincere promise of the blue bird, Hotaru stiffly nodded and reluctantly stepped away with one last look towards the beautiful bird.

She returned to Gaucho's side, though a tad farther away than when she had first arrived; he had declared her free, after all. It didn't mean she would leave Ophelia, however. Ampere's hooves carried her to Gaucho's side, and Hotaru's eyes narrowed surreptitiously as she found herself magnetized towards Ophelia in counter-point. They were held equal in number, a lead for a lead and their two warriors, ready to defend them. She wanted to find Gaucho's eyes, assure him of something she couldn't quite put into words, but they seemed impossibly stuck on Ampere as if daring her to try something against her Lady.

But weren't they supposed to be discussing peace? Or would that notion disappear, so quickly after being born?

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Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#13


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Nothing the other two did or said could have moved Gaucho's gaze from Ophelia once she declared herself one of the rulers of the Basin. It was like the world was crashing down upon him all at once. He no longer needed to challenge the leader of the Basin; he had her right in front of him.

Ophelia had seemed so... so reasonable. To his primitive mind it made little to no sense. Even Mara couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. Ophelia had been the one giving the orders? She led the Basin? Snorting Gaucho looked from Ophelia to Hotaru and back, confusion welling in his dark gaze. Ophelia had stood there while Hotaru departed with him, unwilling to fight. And yet the spy had told him in the Throat that she was only following orders, why then would she allow herself to be taken? We not point out the real mastermind who was standing right there. Was that why Ophelia was surprised when Hotaru showed up freely at his side? Did she want the spy to have to take the blame and punishment for an act that the paler unicorn demanded? Just what the fuck was going on in the Basin?

Not only that, but without Ophelia Gaucho would have never had his memories restored by the Sun God. She knew who he was perhaps better than any, for she had seen into the depths of his mind. She knew that this would be his only response to the attempted attacks on his family. There had been no inciting incident that called for their behavior towards the Throat (at least so far as He and Hotaru could recall), nor had any attempts been made by the unicorns to seek whatever it is they wanted through regular means.

Ophelia had to have known that all of this would have happened, and yet she let it happen anyways.

It made no sense.

Unless of course she was just still angry about their 'spar'.

"Not allies." He agreed with a grunt, his stern gaze falling upon Ophelia solidly. "But Gaucho apologize for what happened and you help Gaucho. Spy say she told to steal from Throat. Why?!" His voice rose into a snarl as he took a step forward, asking the very same question he had asked of Hotaru when they spoke in the Throat. "Why enemies? Why you take? You say you want to see Soh. Talk about Academy, but say we not allies. Maybe not, but enemies not a part of Academy either. So why start this? Silk only one who try to take from Basin - and he try to take her. A spy for a spy. Gaucho come when he fail. Spy come willingly, say it wasn't her idea, so Gaucho let her go. Then Gaucho want to talk to leader. You."

If the Basin wanted to continue their feigned strength by stealing baubles that was one thing, but Gaucho wanted to hear her say it. If this was to become a war, he would have her, before the two witnesses, admit that it was over nothing.

"So why Oh-feel-ya. Why you do this?"



TAG: @[Name] | # WC | Notes if needed.

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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#14
Ophelia the Forsaken


Ophelia was painfully aware that she was being blamed for actions not of her own doing, but she held fast, keeping her secrets and appearing, at least, to be firm. Ampere moved closer to Gaucho, and she narrowed her gaze slightly, standing up straighter and lifting her arched, white neck while her lips turned down into a frown. The sharp bite of her eyes snapped between the two, watching as Hotaru made her stand as well. Everything with Gaucho ended in violence...

Honestly, she was not surprised. She listened carefully to his words, nodding once or twice to show that she cared about what he had to say - she did, even if she still held a grudge. Ophelia was not perfect. In fact, she was rather vindictive, but whatever this was about had nothing to do with them. Part of her wished she could throw the blame on Deimos and storm out, but the more secrets kept, the safer they were.

Ah, but Hotaru would throw the blame, of course. The leaders made her do it, and that was what this was about. He took an angry step forward but she held fast, seemingly unaffected through she very much did not want to nearly die again. "Just because we are not allies does not make us enemies," she said clearly. "You who comes here, challenging our own, demanding to speak to leaders, have never once set foot up here to even ask to settle terms between our herds," she said pointedly.

"Naturally, materials mean nothing to me. So we use our superior cunning to take what we do not have. Since we have no ally agreement, there was no reason not to target you. This was not a personal affront, simply a lack of agreement and a test of our thieves. For why should we not take if we are not caught hm? Especially since you avoided the north for so long?" Ophelia spoke more, the tone of her voice remaining even and almost soft.

"Your absence from any communication here spoke volumes about your position. I have not been in the Aurora Basin long, but I have been here long enough to know that we seek out more often than you. Sohalia invited me to be a part of the Academy, and I very much want to impart my knowledge on young minds," she said. "Sohalia made clear what was wanted and our agreement, so I have honored those."

"If you want some rule to be followed, Gaucho, you have to tell all other parties involved before you go declaring war for some unintentional slight." Ophelia snorted once, frowning. "I am aware of the two-faced nature that surrounds this land," she growled. "You made it abundantly clear when you attacked me without provocation simply because I look like a unicorn."

Ophelia's gaze sharpened. "So I will not stand here and be accused of crimes you had not made anyone aware of, Gaucho. I will stand by my own and protect them from you and your prejudice."

"So, will you declare war?"


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Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#15


Tensions run high, a fever dream of blame and a dance of politics that Hotaru is witness to. Her heart runs, her blood heats, and she feels in herself something snap and break and grow beneath the icy facade of her Lady. Ophelia had been her mother's friend, once upon a time. Betrayal ran between their lines like a disease, spread from her mother to Hotaru to take upon the mantle of regret. When her Lady looked at her, did she see Hotaru? Or merely Phaedra, re-purposed into a ghost to memorialize her mistakes? Whether the rose lass meant anything to the frigid mare or not, as she watched them parry with words and spittle from gleaming ivories that could so easily be tainted with blood...Hotaru made her decision.

Perhaps it wasn't her place, and maybe it was digging her own grave ever deeper, but seeing her leader face Illynx's mistakes with head held high and tongue still...Hotaru could not allow such harm to come to her.

"You are mistaken by my words, Gaucho." She shatters the silence that Ophelia leaves behind her, and she steps forth, no longer parallel to the snowy queen at her side. Ready to lunge, to shield, to protect and take upon herself the pain of her own mistakes. Pain that Ophelia had gracefully been ready to accept. Hotaru was a big girl, young though her years were, and she would own up to her faults.

"Ophelia rose to her rank just after I made my attempt on my mother. It was not by her word that I targeted your followers. It was by the word of Illynx. However, I would not have alerted you to Ophelia's promotion; herds must keep some secrets, after all." Her throat quivered beneath the weight of the words she orchestrated in silence, the ones that would be revealed with as much might and majesty as her queen's. The ones that would effectively seal her fate, heading out from the mountain pass.

"Illynx is no longer here. She has disappeared. Shall you still desire vengeance...though you have just released me, I will gladly shed my blood in her place. Ophelia is attempting to change the Basin. Change it in ways I sought to make you understand, Gaucho." Her eyes seek to meet his, trying to get him to understand that Ophelia was not the one to blame. A beautiful trick on her part, but one acted as flawlessly as the ice that surrounded them.

"I shall not let you harm her for deeds done by her predecessor. If it eradicates your anger...I shall hold Illynx's place, as her former subordinate. Take your pounds against her from my flesh. Ophelia shall not be harmed, not today, not for transgressions made by the Lady that guided my actions." Her words are hard as steel, eyes like flint as she raises her head to him, a gleaming martyr. She wants so badly to turn to Ophelia, to tell her that she's sorry, that her words and careful eloquence could only go so far. But whatever would happen, she would sooner die than allow Gaucho to harm her Lady. Both out of personal feelings and a loyalty for the matron of her herd that would never die.



Based off her last stealth attempt, that was around the exact date Ophelia was promoted, so Hotaru would IC be near the Throat scouting for her mother and thus unaware of the change in rank until after she returned and before Gaucho challenged her! :3 Therefore she would have still been acting under Illynx.

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Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#16


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

Annoyed. In the moments that followed while the dun forced himself to be silent and listen, a bubbling and heating vat of annoyance began to pool in the pit of his stomach. It churned and burned as it overflowed, rising up through his throat and stinging his tongue. He wanted to stamp his feet, to beat his wings and toss his head with each passing word that seemed utterly useless. Why did Gaucho fight? Why did things end in violence? Because words were nothing. Actions were everything. He wanted to throttle Ophelia. To call her a hypocrite who was simply good with words. His mind exploded with fury and frustration as Hotaru chimed in. So Ophelia hadn't been lead for long. That both made things better and worse. Better in the sense that, as the pink spy tried to communicate, not every evil that the Basin had conducted against the Throat was her doing. Fine. However, as leader now she inherited the problems and boons and slights of all of her predecessors. If she wanted to change the Basin, fine. But accusing Gaucho of being the one to start a war was simply false. Whether or not it had been under her guidance it had always been the Basin who threw the first stone. Why had it fallen to him to venture North? Why should he politely come a'calling when his herd was being threatened? He didn't understand it, and his ignorance only further fueled his anger. A grim smirk appeared on his lips as Hotaru mentioned that she wouldn't allow him to harm Ophelia. As if she could stand in his way. However as the thought resonated in his mind, suddenly he could feel his body becoming sympathetic to the idea, and invigorated by it. How he wanted to charge at Ophelia, to feel the points of his collar sink into her pristine white flesh, to add more red to her ensemble. To tear at her pretty mane, and to feel if she was both as soft and hard as she appeared. Gaucho wanted to throw her body against the ice and watch her slide. He wanted might to make right, and to force all of her pretty words back down her pretty throat. All he needed was to release the tension that was building within him, and being the creature he was, only a physical activity could release his energy.

Truly, he just wanted this rising action to reach a climax; at this point he didn't even care what it was. He came here wanted to resolve things. To understand what the attacks had been about but all he had received was excuses and both mares trying to shift the blame. Ophelia wasn't in charge, and You're the one who doesn't come North, and Why can't we take when we haven't been caught?

And so Gaucho stood, muscular shoulders twitching as he forced himself to remain still and stoic. He wouldn't attack either mare, as much as his primitive instincts told him to. Instead, with Mara's help, he would continue to try and understand the bastardized version of recent events they were trying to spin.

"No." He said finally, his voice more or less even. "When you ever come?" He returned, his voice accusatory as his blue gaze narrowed. "When your leaders ever come to talk to us? You say Soh reached out to you to join Academy. That US coming to YOU." He snorted, agitation creeping into his voice. Ophelia had come to the Throat a few times, that much he remembered, but clearly not in a position of authority in the Basin. He didn't even know who the leaders of the Basin were that's how much they apparently ventured out. He had not heard anything from them since the Invasion. In fact, the last time that he had heard of anything from the Basin had been during the Wraith attacks when he had let Basin unicorns join his WAR effort. "Gaucho start WAR effort in caves during wraith invasion. Gaucho work with Basin members then. After invasion nothing. Then you start stealing. You make first attack. Throat retaliate. Why I need to come to Basin and make terms? These the terms. You attack us, we attack back. Simple. But you make it sound like Gaucho did wrong. Like I start a war. Basin invade Throat seasons ago, you try to steal multiple times now. This first time we retaliate. You not leader then - fine." He said dismissively, shrugging his shoulders. He hadn't been the leader of the Throat then either. What had been done was already in the past. "But you leader of Basin now. I leader of Throat. You need terms? Fine. You attack us, we attack back. You try to steal, Gaucho will answer. This my family. I will always protect them. "

His voice had turned to fire, accompanied by that which burned along his wings as he spoke. Light blossomed in the icy passageway as he addressed the Basin Lady, finding his words failing to lend themselves to the meaning he was trying to communicate. Why was it his responsibility to ask for terms? If he wanted peace perhaps, but all he wanted when this started was justice. The way Ophelia was speaking now made the Wildfire think she should perfectly understand why he had taken Hotaru, as she herself seemed to. Hotaru had understood - it was fair. She had made a move against the Throat, and so the Throat had made a move against her. What was so villainous in that? Why was the Basin so privileged that they could attack with impunity and expect others to come to their doors begging, 'Oh please, please don't attack us anymore ? Why was Gaucho made the villain for retaliation when it was they who threw the first stone?! His tail lashed angrily around his hocks as he let these thoughts boil in his mind. Perhaps if he killed Ophelia here and now they could have a new more reasonable leader.

Before he could express this thought, a sparkle of ice that lined Phaedra's body caught his gaze. Turning softly towards the golden mare, the Wildfire sighed. All of this was done for the sake of his family. All of it. The reason he had taken Hotaru, the reason he was here now to collect Phaedra and Stella, and even the reason that he was speaking with Ophelia. While the thought of murdering her here amongst the ice was mostly just a gruesome fantasy, he realized what a shockwave it would cause. Perhaps the Throat could triumph over the Basin in combat, he really wasn't sure. But all of the lives it would take to win ... Suddenly he remembered the bodies that lined the Throat during the last Invasion. It both strengthened his resolve and pacified his anger.

Family was most important.

Rhojosor rayan.

His gaze moved from Phaedra to Ophelia as he tried to think. This sort of strategy ... this weak form of manipulation if it could be called that, was not what Gaucho was good at. Fighting, that's what he was here for. (Soh, where are you?). Mara hissed weakly, nuzzling Gaucho's skull from her place in his mane away from the cold. Tell her what ssssshe wantsssss. Peacccceee. Tell herrrrr. Mara knew that it would mean Gaucho would be the one to give, although seemingly that was what Ophelia wanted. To accept none of the blame for her newly acquired herd and to be in charge. She wanted to hold all of the cards. Gaucho tensed immediately at the thought. He didn't want to - he wanted to make Ophelia admit her wrongs, to apologize and agree to leave his family alone if only for his show of strength. Was it pride that fostered this feeling? Perhaps. But in his mind he felt entitled to it.

But what was more important? His entitlement? Or his family?

Family. It would always be his family.

Looking to Hotaru, Gaucho's nostrils flared causing the bone that lined the dark skin to twitch. He hoped that she was right and that Ophelia wanted to make a change. What would happen next would likely decide all of their fates for a while to come.

Steely blues sought to find Ophelia's bi-coloured gaze. His emotions had wavered considerably, although now he was relatively calm. His priorities were in order now. Besides, if Ophelia turned him down impaling her with is antlers was still an option.

"Okay." He began again rather softly, licking his lips slightly to wet them after his moments of silence. "Terms. Gaucho want peace. Gaucho asking for peace. Basin and Throat not need to be allies, but need more than neutral. You not steal from Throat, not attack Throat. Throat not steal from you, not attack you. You need from us, you ask. If we can help, we help. That terms Gaucho want." The dun assumed that the Basin would not want to be their ally.
"Be civil. He continued, borrowing the word from Mara's vocabulary.

There. He had been the one to give. To take the high road. It was what he thought Ophelia wanted.

But would it be enough?




Rhojosor rayan; literally family is the summit




Sorry! Long! Gaucho had to work through a few things >.>


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Ascended Helovian

Ophelia the Amaranthine Posts: 701
Outcast atk: 6.5 | def: 10.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.0 hh :: 6 Years HP: 77 | Buff: BULK
Tinek :: Royal Silver Dragon :: Frost Breath & Shock Breath Tamme
#17
Ophelia the Forsaken

Ophelia glanced at Hotaru who set the record straight. The pale princess was glad for this, even for a moment. The more twist and turns to this tale, the more difficult it was to lay blame as the culprits were not so easily seen. Also, blaming the ones who disappeared was always a clever idea. Illynx was gone, which Phi did honestly regret. The golden mare seemed interesting, once upon a time when they met at a festival. Then, Hotaru did something surprising when she offered to fight in her stead and Ophelia quirked an ear in her direction, unsure of whether to smile or frown. Was she trying to change the Basin? Honestly, she was just trying to learn. Such a short time had passed before the God of Time had given her a crown, and making enemies out of her own people with swift decrees was not her idea of good leadership.

Needless to say, she stood by her words. Even if she had been the one to urge Hotaru to steal, what of it? Gaucho had made no attempts for peace. They were not allies. But, apparently, he possessed some type of morality precluding him from seeing reason in this, as he looked about ready to burst with frustration. Still, she stood calmly, barely floating above the surface as the wind was the only thing to shift the hairs around her features. Like permafrost, she was a constant, unchanging and fixed in this world. Sure, she would move from place to place, but her ideals remained the same. Ah but again, he got the point wrong, and she shook her head, snorting. “I was once the spy for your Dragon’s Throat under Kri. I was the one to travel to your lands when Sohalia met me at the gates. Though I was not a leader then, I was curious about the changes after I heard Kri had gone.”

She was curious about other things too, mainly if Mauja had actually disappeared into the sea and if his crimes were legitimate. “So, you get that wrong, Gaucho. I came to YOU.”

Ophelia grimaced. “One, I was not in Helovia during whatever this wraith invasion is that you are speaking of. I heard of it, but I did not participate. Two, I was not a part of the Aurora Basin invading either the Dragon’s Throat or the World’s Edge. I was not there, and I did not lead the Basin at that point in time either. Third, do you honestly expect any group to respect some imagined rules based on your ideals when you have never traveled to their land to make peace? You say you worked with the Basin in this wraith invasion, but did you state your terms then?” she asked pointedly.

“While I find it honorable that you will protect your family, you throw accusations and prejudice as if your opinions are the final say. They are not. The world is not made up on the foundations of your principles, Gaucho. “

The pale princess paused, eyes narrowing. “Let me give you some history. Long ago, a band of pegasi invaded the Dragon’s Throat, which is the only reason why you live there now. Time passed. Then, Mirage, my father and their warriors invaded the home of these unicorns for no other reason than that they wanted the land. The ones who live in the Basin now are refugees from your so-called civilized groups. Their hearts harbor anger against those who stole their home away and those who supported this invasion. Then, I and my sister invaded the Foothills to give our group a home. You act as if this is some slight against you and your family when this is the natural way of things.”

“So, when the Aurora Basin invaded, I imagine that they were trying to get their home back. You preach about family? There are more families than just yours. I chose to align myself with the Aurora Basin because of the prejudice they face daily for wanting to live among their own. They are quiet, but they are waiting. Old anger looms from the war waged against them that lost them their home, and I will not stop them from avenging their honor.” Ophelia stood tall, her expression a firm frown.

“We are not so different.”

Ophelia paused, waiting, and she listened to the terms that Gaucho put before her now. The fact that he now demanded this heightened neutrality burned her from the inside, but she stood firm, clenching her jaw. They must do nothing. Civility was entirely dependent upon who defined the word. There were days when civil meant cutting the hands off thieves and hanging traitors in the square for all to see. Still, she took a breath, having showing her age and influence through the years with her former speech. Ophelia was not just some leader of the Basin. She was a knowledge cog. “Agreed,” she said firmly. That was all that needed to be said, honestly. What more was there?


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Ascended Helovian

Gaucho The Wildfire Posts: 1,004
Deceased atk: 8.5 | def: 11.5 | dam: 8
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2 :: 12 HP: 85 | Buff: PINNACLE
Mara :: Black Mamba Snake :: Paralyze & Vorsa :: Plain Zephyr :: Phoenix Odd
#18


.....





GAUCHO

I'M THE END OF A HITCHCOCK MOVIE
A LITTLE DARK AND A LOT CONFUSING.

He wanted to argue, wanted to stomp his hooves and just scream out of sheer frustration. Ophelia acted as if the way things had been had anything to do with how they ought to be. So what of old anger? Did the generations not resolve themselves eventually? Why should the burdens of the past matter now? She confused invasions over land with the stealing of petty trinkets. Such things were not on par. She took advantage of history when it suited her, ignoring it when it didn't. She utilized the past when she was not a leader as if it made any difference. She visited the Throat when she was ...what? A child (for she didn't appear to be very old to Gaucho) ? So what? He was sure that Kri had visited the Basin before as well.

But he would not argue, flail, or scream. If the Basin held a grudge against the Edge that was one thing, even if it did not explain why the Throat was involved. Ophelia was right - they were not so different. The Throat was also composed of mostly one species, trying to live out their lives peacefully and away from the judging eyes and minds of the rest of Helovia.

But Ophelia had agreed. That was all that mattered. He and Ophelia might be of vastly different minds, but at least they had come to this. Peace. Civility. Whatever the evils had come before, would it all be erased by these terms? Gaucho hoped so. If war was to continue between the two herds it should at least be for injustices that both sides were aware of.

Was he supposed to say something now? Okay? Or Thank you? Perhaps, but he wouldn't. Couldn't. He had given for Ophelia, given in order to reach this conclusion, and yet she still stood as icy and firm as ever. Was this the fault that he sensed in her but couldn't articulate? For all of her odd grace, helpfulness and knowledge, was this it? This inability or unwillingness to admit mistakes? No ... perhaps not. It didn't seem as though Ophelia felt there was anything that necessitated a conciliatory remark on her part.

Gaucho merely grunted, for that was all his primitive mind could muster. He looked to Ampere with a nod. Her magic could easily move Phaedra's body. Silently he regarded Hotaru. Was this how she expected things to go? Part of him wondered if he made her proud, although it was such a strange emotion for the dun to feel that it was quickly dismissed. Still, Hotaru had changed something fundamental in him, whether or not Ophelia could see it. But perhaps she would in the seasons to come.

As he turned his body he nodded diplomatically to both Ophelia and Hotaru before his attention was placed upon Phaedra and Stella.

"Ampere. We take and go." He advised sternly, his mind exhausted from his back and forth with Ophelia.



Aaaannnddd out! Gaucho and Ampere will take the body back to the Throat, along with the other Throatlings waiting outside.


TAG: @[Name] | # WC | Notes if needed.

FOXX

Please tag me in every post! Magic/Force is allowed on Gaucho at any time.


Ampere The Mother of Companions Posts: 719
Dragon's Throat Sultana atk: 9 | def: 11 | dam: 4.5
Mare :: Pegasus :: 14 hh :: 6 years HP: 73 | Buff: DANCE
Kygo :: Green Cheek Conure :: None Blu
#19
Are you ready for
The perfect storm

The stupid bitch had really earned her name well, Ampere thought with an inner sneer as the girl stepped forward towards Gaucho. The movement was a clear challenge, but her words made it glass. Did the stupid bitch not realize Gaucho had wanted to do exactly that to her, but that she had submitted like a coward, more inclined to let herself soak her belly in her own urine, than let him take the pounds from her flesh. Was the bitch only brave when she had such an audience, when her actions were fueled by pretty promises?

Ampere's gaze narrowed.

Her tightly coiled hide did not tense though, because as noted they were equally numbered here, but not so equally matched. If they chose to fight here and now they would be demolished. She did not want it to come to that, but if it did, she was ready and confident in the victor. Thankfully, it did not.

Much to Ampere's surprise Gaucho kept his head, speaking, remembering, explaining, rather than crushing. It was a new side to the dusty coin that he was, and she found it, comforting. Although she loved the taste of his sweat, the sight of his scars and the folds of his muscle, the aroma of his dirt and blood encrusted coat, she appreciated the mind that was cradled inside that delicious body. He was not just a war machine, no, he was flesh and blood, a commander and builder of said machines but not one of them.

He was a Sultan.

Stepping beyond patience and revenge and pride, Gaucho submitted terms of peace. It rocked her, the blue body she bore visibly shifting. In awe her head twisted to set her gaze on him, as if needing some reminder of who it was she stood beside. Gaucho she breathed, overwhelmed with a new array of emotions for him. Her loyalty fortified behind him, her respect blossomed, and her genitals flushed. His control, his power, over himself, his herd,and this situation... it was impressive.

She fought back the small twist of a smile that was trying to creep on her face as she turned her attention back to the unicorns. The moment still hung tense in the air, until at last Ophelia bowed her tongue in agreement.

Relief ebbed through Ampere like a tide, coursing in her veins with euphoria. She knew the terms were precariously obtained and as such could be easily broken, forged with crystal rather than iron. She was grateful for the peaceable resolution though, regardless.

With a lightened heart she turned with Gaucho to the bodies, one ear trained still on their newfound neutral companions. Though, her magic required her focus as she set to moving first Phaedra's body onto Gaucho's back, then Stella onto her own. The weight of Phaedra's corpse was draining, and Ampere stood for a moment, collecting her strength, before wings spread in readiness of departure.
"Many long days and fortunate winds to you both," she offered as a kind farewell, choosing a phrase from her childhood.


A M P E R E
HALO OF COLD HAIR & _LIGHTNING

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