the Rift


[OPEN] The Reality of Displacement

Auriel Posts: 122
Outcast atk: 4.5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.2 Hands :: 3 (Ages Birdsong) HP: 66 | Buff: NOVICE
prissy
#1
Auriel

I ran.

I am the biggest coward ever because all I could do was run. I just bolted, without saying a word to Shida, and leaving the nice mare that had tried to save us in the dust. If the adults were running, that meant we were next. All the big, bad armor clad giants were destroying my childhood. With each clang and cry, all I could do was cringe and watch them take everything away. In the distance, I may have even heard mom cry, and that's what finally broke everything that was within me.

My tiny legs finally got me outside of the Falls, and immediately I burst into the air. If they wanted to take me, and hurt me to, they'd have to chase me through the skies. My eyes kept watering, and so I kept crying. There were so many tears within me that I didn't know when I would stop. Why couldn't I just be Shida, she's okay, or at least seemed okay. Then here was me, pathetic little Auriel, begging anyone in the sky to just help my mommy and daddy. I couldn't be out here alone, I would never survive.

Weariness clung to my bones like a cold grasp. It was creeping into my wings, quickly forcing me to descend into a land of purple flowers. Once, they may have been pretty, but now, they were just little reminders of what I used to have. Maybe I was just being mopey, and overreacting, but it really feels like my world is falling apart without me. I wish I had won that egg from the raven, then I wouldn't be so alone. I would at least have another child that could stay with me, and cry with me. The only thing to help me get through tonight was the little glowing charm that sat between my eyes. Its little green glow the only comfort I had.

Curling up, I rolled myself into the tightest possible ball. My eyes slammed shut, and I tried to curl up even further. If I could be small enough, no one could see me, and no one could hurt me. I could live the rest of my life in a peaceful rest, curled under the blooming flowers.

[post-invasion, open for anyone! Sorry it's meh, but it'll be better with interaction.]
Coding by Tamme
She walks in starlight in another world.
She is far away. She...she is far, far away from me.

Shida Posts: 109
Deceased atk: 3.5 | def: 7 | dam: 6
Filly :: Unicorn :: 16 :: 3 (ages in Birdsong) HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Princess :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire Odd
#2
Shida
You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain.


I'm sort of glad Auriel ran away like the shit-head she is. Don't get me wrong, part of me wanted to stay and watch the conclusion of the action, but then again ... I mean, I didn't want to get my ass killed just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was those fuckers who attacked us, and I'll be damned if I take home any new scars because of it. Especially when I didn't even get to fight. So when Auri hightailed it away, I followed.

You know, cause I'm a good sister. Definitely not because I was afraid too.

"AU-" EXPLOSION. "REE-" EXPLOSION. "EL." EXPLOSION. With each syllable of her name, I blew up a small clump of dirt. Was she seriously going to just curl up and take a nap? Our home just got fucking taken over by some giant, and she's snoozing?

Princess sat down next to me as I stood looking over my sister, a look of disapproval on my face. The hellhound did not like all of the fighting, but was currently unsure where his duty lay. Obviously he stayed by my side, but given how little I communicated anything to him, he was clearly finding it difficult. "Get up Aur-" I demanded, snorting. "Didn't you see it? Didn't you see Da?! He was with them, idiot. With the invaders. Do you know what that means? It means he's got a plan."

I'm not really sure if that's true or not. It could be that they were holding Da captive. I mean, I haven't really seen him for a while, maybe the invaders had found him somewhere when he was high, and were holding him prisoner. I don't know. But I'd like to think that he has a plan. He might seem like an idiot to most, but I know him better than that. He isn't.

"Stop being a tit."

I needed Aur to stop napping, or sulking, or whatever was happening. I needed her to get up, agree with me that Da had a plan, and help me figure out what to do next. I mean, had anyone seen Ma? All I know is those idiots who were with us on the hill, were probably still there. Like, A+ work team. Super fucking helpful. I know I was there too, but I'm just a kid. I get a pass. The adults who stood there, they should get their asses beat for being so fucking useless.



Image Credits

Roskuld the Sparklight Posts: 424
World's Edge General atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.3 :: 6 HP: 82 | Buff: ENDURE
Zchiraxicon :: Royal Rougarou :: Electric Smithers
#3

*“AU—“*

BOOM!!

*”REE—“

BOOM!!

*”EL.”*

BOOM!!

...

Well, shit. There was no mistaking who that was.

I groaned and rolled over onto my feet, while you still stayed plastered on my face, kinda against my eye, still sleeping like a baby. I ain’t even gonna front, that kid kinda kicked my ass. I was just laying down somewhere, trying to nap off the throbbing and the pain—at least, until I was ripped from deep, velvety black sleep, pulled back into sore and achy muscles and into the glorious world of bright light and shouting. And explosions.

Figures she would find herself back here. Lil’ Shawty.

I didn’t even really mind being woken up like that. I hadn’t seen the lil’ thing in some time—and she had been alone then, so I didn’t even know if she had a Ma or a Pa lookin’ out for her. Call me some paranoid mammy or whatever, but it felt nice to know she was still around and alive and kickin’ hard enough to explode some shit. And scream. That too.

I saw her not too far from me, standing there, talking to someone--I guess it was that scary-ass dog that sat down next to her? I cocked a brow, walking my stiff-ass closer, and I started hearing her words a little bit more clearly:

*"Stop being a tit."*

“Who you callin’ a tit?” I asked, and at that point you started stirring on my face, woken up by the vibration of my voice. You sort of shook your little head to clear the blur in your tiny eyes, and you blinked at her, at the dog that sat there all buff and fuckin’ terrifying, blearingly asking me what was going on. But I had nothin’ to give you, because I didn’t know myself.

I furrowed my brow, looking at how agitated Lil’ Shawty seemed to be—how tense she was all over her body. And it wasn’t until I came closer and I almost stepped on her that I saw that there was a child hiding in the grasses, curled up as hard as her tiny body could be curled. Something dropped in me when I saw tear-stains running down those pale cheeks; I snorted hard and suddenly you were wide awake, because you caught the spark in my head and you knew shit was going down.

“…what happened, Shawty?” I asked, low and quiet and concerned, my eyes turned onto the tiny embodiment of chaos.



[MAMA ROS HERE TO KICK SOME TIT]
@[Auriel]
@[Shida]




Please tag ROSKULD in every reply!

Auriel Posts: 122
Outcast atk: 4.5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.2 Hands :: 3 (Ages Birdsong) HP: 66 | Buff: NOVICE
prissy
#4
Auriel


I know now that I do not need a tracking device on my sister. No matter where I go, she has her own little (well, big) noise that she makes for everything. I'll just have to sort out the difference between distress booms and annoyed booms later. For now, just knowing she's around, or coming to me, makes it all a little better. Within mere moments, she's there with Princess by her side. I keep my eyes shut, hoping she'll go away, but instead, she actually says something helpful. Like that does not happen to often.

I peek through my eyelashes as she tries to explain to me that dad has a plan. I sure hope that she is right, because I don't know how we are going to live out here alone. Especially since all I can do is scream, and all she can do is explode. Although, it would probably be an interesting sight. As I refuse to move, she finally insults me and I open my eyes. My pale gaze shoots daggers at her, and if I could, I'd laser her head right off. Now who's the tit?

Suddenly another unfamiliar unicorn starts approaching. I can hear the footsteps before I actually see her, but that doesn't stop me. I jump to my feet, scream ready to go, when all of a sudden she talks... to my sister. I'm actually quite shocked that Shida has a friend, well, a comparable relationship to friendship I suppose. All she can ask is what happened, and since she's the closest thing to a mature adult we have, the information rushes from my mouth quicker than I can breathe. "They attacked us. I think they're trying to take away our home. I don't know who or what they are, but they just came in and starting beating up my family!" By the end, I'm on the verge of squealing and my little body is puffing more smoke than I can handle. I turn to Shida, a frown coming over my face. I left her there. Im such a terrible sister, and I actually mean it this time. "I'm sorry I left you there." I whisper to Shida. Hopefully she'll accept my apology. This creepy twin connection makes me want to be friends with her whether I like it or not.

A fresh set of tears start brewing as I think of all the things that could be going wrong now. At least Shida saw dad, but what about mom? "Will dad take us away from mom if she fought with the other people in our herd?" The thought crossed my mind so abruptly that I didn't even realize what I said until I said it. Dad was on the other side, but what about mom? Did that mean that they were fighting against each other? If they were, Dad's side was winning for sure. So that meant mom was losing, and badly. I start shaking and nervously bump my muzzle against Shida's shoulder a few times. "Zebra girl will you help us?" I look to the "friend" that had arrived. I didn't know her name, so I had to call her a zebra. That's what I thought she was first. However, zebra girl is out last option, unless we planned on hiking out into the wilderness alone. A dog and two children can only do so much.

Coding by Tamme
She walks in starlight in another world.
She is far away. She...she is far, far away from me.

Shida Posts: 109
Deceased atk: 3.5 | def: 7 | dam: 6
Filly :: Unicorn :: 16 :: 3 (ages in Birdsong) HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Princess :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire Odd
#5
Shida
You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain.


Shooting someone's face off with laserse!? If I could read Auri's mind, I would tell her that was the fucking coolest shit she's ever said in her life. But I can't, so I continue to think she's a tit.

Anyways.

Finally she moves, but only to glare at me. (Like I give a shit), so I glare back. Then things get a helluva lot better.

I sigh dramatically, pretending to be super embarrassed for my motherfucking icon Ros to see me with my asswipe of a sister. "Auri's a tit. She's my sister." I reply, but my words are rushed. I don't want to be talking about Auri right now. Not when there's a bunch of other shit happening, like my home being fucking invaded by goliath, and my idol showing up.

Auriel's account is basically what happened, but I offer my own recap anyways. Ros did ask me after all. "Yeah. Some big motherfucker followed by lots of other motherfuckers just attacked. And they didn't try to take away our home -" I blurt out, casting an angry and condescending look at Auri before turning back to Ros. "-they mother fucking succeeded. They just stormed up and whooped some ass. They didn't have to try - they brought bitches from the Basin to help out. It was a fucking slaughter. We got our asses kicked. The worst part, is they didn't even fucking ask. We knew we were going to lose the second they stormed up. They could have saved everyone a lot of goddamn time by fucking evicting us, rather than beating the shit out of everyone."

My words and tone had gotten progressively louder as I spoke. I guess I didn't realize how actually fired up I was about the whole thing. It was probably because I couldn't participate, since my bones and shit were still growing. But damn it made me angry.

I shrug twice to both of Auri's statements. I don't say anything to her apologize, since twin-emotions always make me feel awkward. As to her second question? I dunno ... I just always assumed we'd follow Da. If Ma and Da were going to split up ... well who knows. 2 Christmas's ? Every other weekend? I just didn't know.

"Her name's Ros. Not zebra girl." I correct, though it wasn't like Auri would have any way of knowing that.


Image Credits

Roskuld the Sparklight Posts: 424
World's Edge General atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.3 :: 6 HP: 82 | Buff: ENDURE
Zchiraxicon :: Royal Rougarou :: Electric Smithers
#6

My heart broke when the little thing in the grasses jumped at my arrival; it was all I could do from doing the same, because shit that spooked the fuck out of me, but something nagging and urgent was telling me this absolutely wasn’t the time to be spooked in front of these kids. From the looks of it, it seemed like these kids had seen some shit.

The light one started talking, and my heart shattered even more, so much so that the pieces of it started swirling around in my breast, a shard getting lodged between my bones:

*"They attacked us. I think they're trying to take away our home. I don't know who or what they are, but they just came in and starting beating up my family!"*


The girl was losing it, and from the sound of things, she had every right to it. For a second I stood, dumbstruck by the vapor clouds pouring out of her tiny body—unsure and hesitant, because I’d never been in this situation before. I’d never been in the face of scared, crying children, and I—well, what do you do? How do you comfort them? Hey…” I said, and I won’t lie and say it wasn’t kinda awkward leaving my lips, because fighting was my forte but comfort was definitely not that. It was gentle, though, and kinda-sorta-maybe soothing, or as soothing as I could manage while still being confused as hell.

Lil’ Shawty brought me up to speed, though.

*"Yeah. Some big motherfucker followed by lots of other motherfuckers just attacked. And they didn't try to take away our home—they mother fucking succeeded. They just stormed up and whooped some ass. They didn't have to try - they brought bitches from the Basin to help out. It was a fucking slaughter.”*

Holy shit I wish Lil’ Shawty hadn’t brought me up to speed.

Because the kids, the thistles, the—well, everything in my world just stopped, frozen and dead, and it felt like I was falling but I knew I wasn’t, I knew my legs were planted firmly on the ground there—I knew because of the blood that pounded so furiously through them.

And they didn't try to take away our home—they mother fucking succeeded.

They didn't have to try - they brought bitches from the Basin to help out.

It was a fucking slaughter.


I was seeing red; I couldn’t breathe straight. I didn’t feel how stony my face was getting or the iron that came upon my jaw; you looked at me, surprised at the feeling in me, because it was so sudden and raw and dangerous, and I ain’t even sure what kind of mask those kids were seeing because a demon hatching behind my eyes and I couldn’t hold the cracks together quick enough.

They brought bitches from the Basin to help out.

( I thought for years that those who resided in this land were evil, fools, but Torleik invited me to see differently--)

It was a fucking slaughter.

I was exploding. Things were detonating in my head, blowing and ringing and clamoring and raging so hard that you actually squirmed on my face, your little heart beating just as quickly as my own, and you were so dreadfully confused at this rush of emotion and the image of my head—because, of course, I’d never told you about Ma before, have I?

But I couldn’t explode in front of these kids. No--they’d been through enough trouble. So I snorted and I tried to breathe the fire away and when I failed, I bit my lip, my face nothing but a mask of shadows, war, and lightning. “Basiners,” I growled, chewing my lip, looking left, right, and center, “Who else was there? Where yo’ parents at now? I felt my muscles tense and lock up; I paced once in place, my nerves raging, a finger on the trigger. Then I stopped myself, realizing something. “Wait, where y’all from?” I looked at these two little girls, these girls that smelled like wet grass and mulch—like autumn, and definitely not like something salty, like the ocean. “You—y’all ain’t from the Foothills are you?” I didn’t know it was called something else now; I only knew it was broken and different and shitty and, if my hunch was correct, a common ground between the three of us.

It was hard to focus. The blood rang in my ears and if it weren’t for this frail little girl and this loud other one tethering me here, I would have already bolted somewhere, to throw myself in a fight or start one all over again. And it’s probably a good thing I didn’t go—because what would I do? How could I stop an army? I sighed, and the sigh turned into a growl, and it probably would have turned into a scream if you hadn’t crawled all over my eye, blinding me for a second—distracting me from the pressure.

“...Hey,” I said suddenly, looking back down at the girls. At the way Lil’ Shawty sort of sneered at the other little girl for getting my name wrong (I’ve been called worse, and there was other things biting at me at that moment for me to really care what I was being called) and the rough way she handled her…sister, maybe? I dunno, but they at least came from the same herd. The bite in my lip got thoughtful as I considered the lil’ chick with no chill. “Be nice,” I said, and it was rough, but also with that soothing thing that I was trying to train and hone, “It sound like y’all been through a lot, and family's family.”

I rolled my shoulders; the blood wasn’t letting me ignore it for long. With a snort and a stomp and a swish of my too-short tail, I squared up and you knew I was gettin’ serious. “Now then,” I said, my voice a little stronger, a lot more scratchy, “Either tell me where I can find y’all’s parents, or point me to the first ass I’m kicking.”



@[Auriel]
@[Shida]




Please tag ROSKULD in every reply!

Auriel Posts: 122
Outcast atk: 4.5 | def: 7.5 | dam: 7
Mare :: Hybrid :: 16.2 Hands :: 3 (Ages Birdsong) HP: 66 | Buff: NOVICE
prissy
#7
Auriel


Of course Shida just had to give her own little account. She had to try and one up me in everything it seemed like! As much as I wanted to be mean to her, and pick at her anger, her account was (oh God, this is painful) much more interesting than mine was. Zebra Girl seems to know who it was, and I tilt my head. Did she know about this? I want to ask, but I decide that's rude. By the looks of her, she didn't seemed too pleased with us being out here. "We're from the Hidden Falls. I guess it's not so hidden though, because a lot of them found it. As for our parents, I don't know..." I reply, cautiously looking about as if someone had followed us here. I give Shida a moment to speak, in case she finds it useful to add her input to a simple question.

After that though, I move on, only finding myself smirking as Ros tells her to be nice. For once someone actually stands up for me! I smile sheepishly in Ros's direction, but her whole demeanor seemed to change then. It was like she went from one thing to another. What that transition was, I couldn't quite tell, it all just felt a little different. Her questions even became darker, and I knew I could not let her go. If mom and dad couldn't get out, how was this one girl supposed to do it? "You can't go! Even if you just find our parents they might kill you." It's my horrible attempt at making this stranger stay. Ros was the closest thing to family at the moment, and I wasn't about to let her walk away to fight an impossible cause. "Wait, you said you knew the people who came in right, the bathers or something? Maybe you could ask them to leave?" At that moment, I didn't realize how naive that question was. By now, they had moved in, set up camp, and had no intention of leaving. I shuffle nervously again, trying to think of something to do. The more I sit, the more nervous I get about what is going to happen. All I can think about is how so many of them flocked to one of our members. Shida was right, it was a slaughter, and that was an understatement. I'm determined now that we need to do something. "If you go, you'll have to take us. Me and my sis got some pretty cool powers we can use on them. Auriel and Shida at your service." I add with kind of a shocked voice. I didn't realize I had actually said that out loud until it popped out of my mouth. I glance to Shida, and then reach my nose over to shove harshly at her shoulder. She needs to agree, because if she doesn't, then Ros (our only "friend") would make us stay. We may not be tall, but we were mighty.

Ros seemed to have a good head. At least, sort of like one. A thought crosses my mind, and I can't help but stand shocked for a moment. If me and Shida had a baby (which by the way would be totally weird) I think that Ros could easily be it. 'Cause Ros was smart (like me, obviously) but she kind of talked like Shida. Which apparently is a more common variant of speech than I had originally thought. Maybe I was becoming the black sheep now. Ugh, I really don't feel like going through social training with Shida in order to fit in. So, I'm going to hold out hope that maybe there are others like me around.

Coding by Tamme
She walks in starlight in another world.
She is far away. She...she is far, far away from me.

Shida Posts: 109
Deceased atk: 3.5 | def: 7 | dam: 6
Filly :: Unicorn :: 16 :: 3 (ages in Birdsong) HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Princess :: Common Hellhound :: Hellfire Odd
#8
Shida
You can tell me when it's over if the high was worth the pain.


I clamp my lips together as Ros tells me to be nice. If she knew what a tit Auriel could be, I'm sure she'd have a different tune. But for right now, we had bigger fish to fry.

"All I know is that some big equine fuckers came down at dawn. They started yelling and then just attacked. Ma was fighting ... but I saw Da leading some unicorns from the Basin around the back. " How was it Auri couldn't remember that they were called the Basin. The herd only bitched about them picking on us every fucking day. "He led them in one of our secret entrances .."

ohshit. Did Da betray our herd? I don't really have loyalty to anyone, but the thought sort of stung. I mean, if he was going to fuck everyone over ... did he not care about us? Ma was fighting the big fuckers, so it certainly didn't seem like she knew. And Auri and I were in the middle of the goddam battle unable to do a fucking thing.

Why didn't Da tell us?

I swallow my doubt, because right now I can't really deal with it. "Ma was beaten up pretty bad. She's prolly still in the Falls .. That big fucker, the first one who came, said that it was his land now. I didn't really hear much after that, since I came to follow tit-, I mean Auriel. But yeah -" I agreed, nodding with what my twin had already said. "We'll go with you."

The ghost of a joke about explosions touched my lips, but disappeared. Right now, I didn't feel like explosions. I actually sort of felt like tears. Our home was no longer our home, and even though I don't give two dicks about the Falls, it hurts to think that Da just abandoned all of us. Auriel and Ma maybe, but not me.

I fall silent, my baby blues staring at Ros pleadingly. I just want her to fix things, or to tell me what to do. At my heels, Princess whines and leans up against my legs. His onyx gaze looks surprisingly soft amidst the rest of his black/molten appearance.


Image Credits

Roskuld the Sparklight Posts: 424
World's Edge General atk: 7.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 6
Mare :: Tribrid :: 15.3 :: 6 HP: 82 | Buff: ENDURE
Zchiraxicon :: Royal Rougarou :: Electric Smithers
#9

The “Hidden Falls” she called it, a name I immediately forgot again. But the impression stuck to a hazy memory of someone’s dad greeting me there, telling me about the changes to my home. So maybe there wasn’t a point of common ground between me and these two little girls—because my home didn’t exist anymore. Little by little my past was shriveling up and I wasn’t catching up to it fast enough to see the ends fray away and say goodbye to them.

You climbed down my nose, your eyes wide and blinking away the last of the sleepies as you inspected the tiny girls. That was pretty much the impression you got: tiny, tiny, tiny, your brain lingering over the fact that they were so small in comparison to me. I didn’t realize this was your first time meeting babies, at least in a situation where there wasn’t a grossly huge dragon needing our assistance. That kind of shit puts too much pressure on you for observation.

*"You can't go! Even if you just find our parents they might kill you."*

I snorted, hard, because boiling blood ain’t got no sense. “I’mma live forever,” I assured her with an iron voice, “Don’t you worry about me none. Worry about yourselves first, ‘n make sure y’all ain’t got no injuries or someshit.”

*"Wait, you said you knew the people who came in right, the bathers or something? Maybe you could ask them to leave?"*

My throat constricted; I opened my mouth but of course nothing fell out, intelligent or otherwise, because my voice was locked up with things and subtleties that these kids didn’t need to worry themselves about. Someone something pale swam in my vision for a second, and the rise in blood pressure was too much for me to process all at once—so it wasn’t until Lil’ Shawty started piping up that I was able to get a grasp on the present again.

*” Ma was fighting ... but I saw Da leading some unicorns from the Basin around the back. He led them in one of our secret entrances .."*

I didn’t know who their Pa was. I didn’t know I already had nightmares of the fat bastard’s shadow, his funk forever haunting me in my lowest hours. As it was, my ears glued themselves to the thickness of my neck, and one could just make out the way my hide stood on end, electrified. That’s one ass I was kicking, whether they want me to or not.

But then they were talking about coming with me--fighting with me, trying to win their homes back, and I had to shove down the bloodthirst that was starting to parch my throat. I swallowed it down and—surprisingly—I succeeded, and my body cooled down a little because of it. It helped that they looked up at me with their big baby’s eyes, making something catch in my throat, especially when I saw the mist in Lil’ Shawty’s gaze. Ah jeez I hated crying. It made things break in me, my heart or whatever else that was fragile enough for smashing.

“….hey, y’all,” I said in a low voice; I moved closer to them, and I reached out to both, to touch them on the point of their withers—being them closer, if they’d allow it. “Listen. I know you mad ‘n all that someone barged in and kicked y’all out—hell, I’d be mad too.” I paused, swallowing. “…But I can’t let you fight,” I said, my voice dropping even lower, “I can’t do that to y’all. Y’all got a bunch more shit to handle in your lives, a lot more shit to look forward to, and I can’t let y’all get hurt over some dumb shit other people decided to do. It ain’t fair, but….” I shrugged, a little helplessly, because the reality of it was that I was powerless to stop this. Maybe if I had known there was bloodshed going on across the way, I could’ve barged in to fight, but I…

“…First thing’s first, we gotta find your Ma,” I said, stronger this time, trying to pump some energy into the young ones. “Sounds like she’s in the most trouble. But I promise you—“ I looked at both children in their eyes, blue and gold, “—just point, and I’ll whoop when the time comes. Cool?”




@[Auriel]
@[Shida]




Please tag ROSKULD in every reply!


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