the Rift


[OPEN] The Starborn~ [Birthing]

Ki'irha Posts: 176
Outcast atk: 4.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 6
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15hh :: 5 years old HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Noella
#1



I am dreaming. Of this, I am sure.

Again and again I arrive on this plane, dragged here as I succumb to my innate need for sleep. It is an unbearable torture, having to relive these nightmarish scenarios every night. I know I am dreaming, but still, I cannot seem to wake.

I stand upon glass which reflects the heavens. But tonight, in this dream, it snows. To my left hovers the monster that arrived several moons ago. It is a winged beast, a shapeless form that grows and shrinks and heaves, covered in too many wings of various shades and shapes and sizes. It is as grotesque as it is unidentifiable, and it follows me wherever I go. I stopped attempting to rid myself of the haunt several nights ago, as I have come to understand that I cannot escape it. Perhaps it is my fear of being forsaken, of carrying a bare-headed child with wings upon its sides. My father raised me to hate, and his intolerance taught me fear and lack of understanding. Though I have grown, the fear still follows me.

As I walk, my pace brisk, the winged monstrosity churns beside me. The further I go, however, the more my surroundings become familiar. The tundra is vast around me, and the permafrost seems to reach up to meet my steps. I realize this is the way home. Soon I am nearly upon the pass that leads into the mountains. I see the sentinels, the great mechanic beasts that have rested dormant since my arrival to the Aurora Basin. Many days and nights I have spent in their shadow, doing the work they are no longer capable of doing.

As I cross into their shadows yet again, thankful to be home, an eerie creaking makes my gut twist and my heart stop. From their posts they creak to life, ice breaking away from them in great sheets. I spring away to avoid their rampage, and in doing so I shove the feathered heathen from their protective offense as well. I look back, and there they stand, metal giants blocking my way home. Before I can protest, before I can try to reason with the inanimate machines, a voice rings clear and loud.

'Begone.'

Before me, within the mountains, black smoke and clouds churn and twist angrily. They rise into the sky, blocking the ornate heavens from view. They take form, two monstrous glowing blue eyes appearing in the haze. Lord Deimos, made from the ghost of fire and storm, looms above me in the sky, larger than the mountains who harbor his, my, family. 'You do not belong!' His voice is firm, angry, disgusted, as he glares down upon me. His voice is greater than thunder, and it shakes me down to the core. I can barely speak back, I can barely keep my heart steady enough to keep from running.

"But why?" I ask, my voice dry as it leaves my tightening throat. "The Aurora Basin is my home. I am its general. Certainly there is a mistake? You can't send me away, please don't do this."

'Enough!' His voice thunders, causing my bones to rattle. Beside me the monster shifts and churns quicker, as if it can feel fear as well. 'You do not belong! You have borne a beast of wings, of feathers, of shame. What you have produced is not welcomed here, and because it is of your womb, of your creation, you have forsaken us, and you have failed.' Tears spring to my eyes, and I can feel the brush of wings as the haunt to my left slinks closer. 'Because of your offspring, it is clear you do not belong. You no longer live here. This is no longer your family.'

I lean back, aghast and terrified, but unwilling to protest. But I cannot move, I cannot pull myself away. 'Begone!' my King repeats, before he rears, great hooves scraping the air. His final words cause the very air to reverberate. 'You are banished, and outcasts are not welcome upon my threshold.'  

Hooves slam into the ground, and from the ground burst great mountainous teeth that threaten to eat me whole. The jagged rocks leap from the ground, the fissure racing towards me as more mountainous boulders leap upwards. I push the winged creature away, forcing it to retreat, and I follow, running as hard as my legs will take me. I am exiled, I am banished, I am inexcusable. I cannot escape the shame that has been put upon me. As the sharpened terra overtakes me, crushing my bones and burying me beneath the rubble, I see the horrific winged creature killed by the king's sharpened ice and stone. I scream for it, because despite its mutation it is my child, and as we are torn apart, I can't help but think I hear it scream back.

Mother.


_____________________________


Typically when she woke, the pain of her nightmares subsided and she was left with nothing but a fading memory and a cold sweat. But as her silver eyes flashed open, pupils constricting, breath caught in her chest, another shooting pain shot through her abdomen. She gasped, legs flailing as she desperately tried to stand. Heaving herself upright, another contraction nearly brought her back to her knees. A shrill whinny burst from her lips, a scream that wouldn't be captured by any other soul. She lurched forward, breaths ragged as her heart raced. She was alone. So terribly alone. It was no different than any other time. Except that it was. It was horrifying, and terror raced through every vein and capillary as she tried to move forward. Maybe she had time to find others. Maybe she was near another herd who would welcome her in as an ailing pregnant mare. She prayed, pleaded, begged for absolution. 'Sanctuary,' she would beg, 'Please give us sanctuary.'

Kneel!

Another painful spasm tore through her and she fell to her knees. Her tail lashed as her muzzle found it's place in the dirt, forced into a deep bow by the grips of nature. "Please," she gasped, talking to any god who would listen, "Please, not like this. Please don't let my die here. Please bring my children into this world. Don't leave them motherless. Don't let them die. Not them. Not here. Not now." Her voice was nearly a sob, shaking with the pain that began to grow increasingly frequent. It was like the tide, the current slamming the same waterlogged branch into the cliff side again and again and again. "Please, hear my prayer."

As another contraction met her womb, she collapsed further, laying upon her side beneath the Frostfall sky. Her breaths were labored and nostrils flared as she drank in the cool night air. Her gaze was lifted to the heavens, and above her the inky blue was alive with twinkling stars and far-off galaxies. The moon was as swollen as she, casting it's pallid glow across the great curves of the starlit princess.

It was a beautiful night to die, but even more so, it was a beautiful night to live.

Ragged gasps turned to even breaths as she focused on what was happening. With each painful contraction, she allowed herself to become enveloped in thousands of years of instinct. Each push seemed harder than the last, but still she endured.

She felt the foal come, felt her enter the world beneath galaxies that had seen the births of so many. Ki'irha sighed, relieved, and fought to lift her head. The sac had broken, and she urged the babe to breathe. But before she could lay her lips upon the child to provide motherly help, the pain returned.

Why had it returned?

Her head fell back, and the pain surged through her body with a vengeance. "No," she breathed, forcing the word from her throat. She needed to help her foal, she needed to encourage it to stand, to nurse, to breathe, to take in its first moments of life successfully. Again and again the contractions kept her down, until she felt it. Another child slipped from her.

The air was silent around her, and she willed herself to lift her head. As her stormy gaze landed upon the twins, something ignited in her chest. It wrapped around her heart, branding the very sinew of her soul and being with it's force and passion. It traced through her brain as she took them in, memorizing each spot, each sparkle, each downy feather. For the first time in her life, she didn't taste disgust upon her tongue when she laid eyes upon their wings. They were hers, and the starlit mare wouldn't have imagined anything more beautiful than the two small bodies that lay beside her.

Heaving herself off the damp ground, with nothing but the softest groan leaving her lips as she moved her child-free body, she turned her entire body towards them. She ran her pink tongue over them, eagerly moving from one to the other, cleaning them as instinct told her to, encouraging them to stand and drink in their first breaths of life.

The first child, elder to its twin only by moments, was a delicate filly. Her coat bore the most exquisite galaxy, topped with white that faded down her sides, and glittered in a way that would make the stars envious. Even her wings, so small and so perfect, seemed to glow, as if blessed by the moon herself. The center of her forehead held the slightest bump, and Ki'irha could only assume it would become a crown the babe would wear proudly. A smile lit the blue girl's features as she looked upon her first born child, and it didn't fade in the slightest as her silver eyes moved to fall upon the form of the younger twin.

Moving her velveteen lips to the other child, she found a colt. His jet-black coat was flawed only by sparse pinpricks of white, and she pressed her nose, a delicate kiss, against the trio of spots that rimmed his nostril. The smallest bump upon his brow, nearly a gem of onyx glass, proved he would wear a crown as well. Upon his shoulders he bore wings, small downy things, and she preened them with care. The colt was as remarkable as his sister, and she couldn't have imagined him any different.

Once satisfied with her work she pulled away, looking over them. As they teetered on spindly legs, Ki'irha made sure they didn't fall. That was her job now - to hold them up, to ensure they would never fall, to know that, no matter what may come, she was there. She would always be there. And as they looked up at her, dependent and needing, she couldn't imagine how it ever felt to have her heart ache. They had healed her wounds and sown her back together.

So as dawn broke over the grove, kissing the horizon with the warm shades of morning, she welcomed them to this world. But despite the beauty of daybreak, she couldn't pull her eyes away. For they were her sun, they were her moon, and she was simply a satellite, paled by their glow, and that was a perfect way to be.

words
@Vesper @Virga ~ Open to others, but please allow Vesper and Virga to post first! Welcome to Helovia, star babies!

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Please Tag Me ○ Permission for magic and injury is granted. Just no death or permanent harm.

Vesper Posts: 46
World's Edge Filly
Filly :: Tribrid :: 14.3hh :: Two
Everly :: Common Zephyr :: Roc Kiki
#2

The world was a very strange place.
 
To this point all I had ever known was the steady rhythm of mother’s heartbeat and the constant presence of my brother’s gentle touch. It seemed that the world was trying to rob me of both.
 
For a moment, I was alone.  I had been deprived of the two beating hearts that had defined my entire existence – the two hearts that had been my world.  All I had known was sound and touch and now I had to know everything at once.  I made a small noise at the feeling of cold and the utter confusion of it all.  Then there were the sounds to consider, but it seemed that the sounds pushed themselves right into my ears.  The wind was gentle, but still a strange sensation nonetheless.  The night sounds were both quiet and overwhelming, especially considering that the only sounds I’d ever heard was nothing more than the muffled voices of others or mother’s own voice.
 
And then my eyes slid open and the vastness of the world seemed to unfold before me.  I studied, intently, the trees as they knitted together overhead.  But what was far more intriguing was the patch of inky black sky visible through a gap in the trees.  I found it difficult to pull my silver eyes away from the twinkling lights watching from above.  I had felt lonely.  I didn’t anymore.
 
I wiggled, getting used to the sensation of gravity against fragile baby bones.  It was strange to find my body listened to what I told it to do.  I looked back to mother to see that brother had arrived in the world as well.  Mother’s touch brought with it the same comfort as her heartbeat had, and my silver eyes lulled shut as her warmth became mine.  She chased away the cold of the world, and then moved to chase it away from brother. 
 
Pulled by the instinctual urge to want to stand, to be closer to her, I struggled to arrange my legs in a way that would allow me to stand as she did.  She made moving and walking seem so easy, but untangling long baby-legs certainly was no easy task.  The process was graceless, but I managed on my third attempt to keep my footing – breathing heavily from the exertion but beyond pleased with myself for the effort.  I smiled up at mother, hoping she’d be pleased as well.  I looked over to brother to see if he’d managed to do any better figuring out his legs, and wondered if he was as exhausted as I was. I was glad he was here with me.  I looked over at his long legs and soft looking fuzzy wings.  I reached out to touch them and pulled away when the downy feathers tickled my nose. 
 
I teetered on new legs, struggling to make the foreign appendages do as I willed them to.  They wavered, still unaccustomed to bearing weight, and I wavered atop them.  But that wasn’t enough to put me off from attempting to make them work.  The distance between myself and mother was uncomfortable.  So with one step, and then another, I drew myself alongside mother and pressed myself against her side taking luxury in her warmth. That and the gentle sound of her beating heart that again filled my baby ears. 
 
With a soft sigh I decided that maybe this world wasn’t so bad after all. 

V E S P E R
Lines:1 2


[ooc - never written 1st person before but she's weird and i dig it]

Virga Posts: 42
Absent Abyss
Colt :: Tribrid :: Growing :: yearling
kae
#3

Second

This is how you greet the world. You don't know yet if it sets a precedent, just as you don't know the pain and fear you've already caused dear mother... But that doesn't matter. You're here now, perfect you, child of heaven's darkest face. Your little body came out delicate to match the moon at her thinnest (meanest) mood: all spindles and curves, light and airy, a dancer's touch to the limbs and an artist's touch to the face. These render you a fragile creature for now, a collection of porcelain bones under covers of damp velvet.

Lightly, you stir in the grass. New lungs heave beneath the svelte curve of your ribs, and when the air comes in, it bites, doesn't it? You didn't expect living to be so hard. And you don't have the wits to think on it (yet) but we're back to precedent again as you seek toward the encompassing scent of her somewhere nearby, a scent still blanketing you in a film of blood and afterbirth. Your child's mind calls the scent safe - home. And that's what draws you up the first time. Your legs don't work so well; like everything else it comes hard at first, a struggle up from the safe darkness of Mother, from the cold skin of the ground. You do it anyway. The fresh heart singing in your breast says live, says struggle, so you do. Your limbs are narrow, shaking, but they hold. And when they don't - she's there, a soft touch and a welcome strength. You're safe. Pretty soon you're clean, too.

So far, so good: you got out all right, got up, and now you're just sorta standing here. To be fair, that took a lot out of newborn you. Your baby brain's not a clever thing at all; it still flickers near overload with all the new shit it's gotta do. So maybe we'll forgive you for not noticing the other one just yet. You all kinda smell the same, after all, and just a second ago you were losing your shit about Mom and standing up and -- yeah, there she is.

You see her moving out the corner of your eye, feel her lips just brush the soft down edge of your wing, and it's so goddamn surprising you kinda fall down. Only - you really wanna be upright, so just one half of you falls as all your too-long legs backpedal like bicycle wheels. Holy shit, you've got a sister! She's new, so she's way more interesting than Mom. Your little wings flip and your tail flicks and your lips make a grabby motion like mine mine mine because you're hungry too and you wanna sniff her but also eat something. You make it upright again and try to sniff her, maybe grab her mane if she gets close enough. She's all bright and pretty, warm and home smelling, and you love her already. Unfortunately, she isn't edible. Instinct kicks in there, and after bumping around for a minute you bump back toward Mom. Hunger's the overwhelming master of the moment. You can check out your twin and whatever the hell else is going on after your belly's full.

You don't notice dawn breaking over your back. Your head cranes toward Mama's belly instead, drawn by centuries of honed evolution. So you don't see the sun smiling on you, or your mom smiling at you, or anything really. You don't even have the wits to appreciate yet how goddamn lucky you are, how perfect this moment is, and you'll forget it pretty soon, anyway.

But I'll tell you this: you couldn't ask for a much better beginning.

Virga
we prayed for rain
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@Ki'irha @Vesper
Happy birthday star babies!! <3 <3

Myrrine Posts: 179
Deceased atk: 5.5 | def: 9.5 | dam: 5.0
Mare :: Pegasus :: 16hh :: 3 (Orangemoon) HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Watermel0nBob
#4



She had heard the cries of the birthing mare before she had even seen her. And even if she hadn't she would have noticed her quite quickly for her glimmering coat gleamed within the moonlight. How she had gotten here was on a mere whim, having wanted to find a place of solace for her and her child to bond and simply relax without the eyes of others upon them. Though she was only a few days old, the babe seemed to hold much spunk, and so Myrrine had a feeling that a little walk to the Grove wouldn't harm her any. She patiently waited whenever the winged maiden wanted to rest, offering her food and affection along the way, until finally they had reached their destination rather victoriously. Only the winged mare hadn't expected to come across a woman screaming in pain from childbirth.

Her own body seemed to cringe as she understood what the poor woman was going through. Her body still hadn't fully healed, especially since it had been a hard birth. The sobbing following the cries were what broke Myrrine, causing her to hurry over and to attempt to aid the mare in any way. Without thinking she attempted to press her muzzle into the sweaty neck of the stranger, lips whispering and crooning in an attempt to comfort," There, there. You'll be alright. Just breathe. The Gods will take care of you." Hazel eyes watched closely as soon she had successfully birthed a foal, it just as beautiful as her mother; gleaming like starlight along the top half of her body. She was about to congratulate the new mom, to give her a cheer in celebration of her little babe; but it seemed her trouble wasn't quite over yet.

Soon she was crying out again, pushing and writhing as if something else was still within her womb. Swallowing hard, the butterfly-mare watched in anticipation, keeping a close eye on the first foal and the mother as the second one was finally brought into the world. She couldn't help but feel awful for the star maiden; one foal was tough enough as it was. The Gods had blessed her with two, and although they were both so beautiful, Myrrine's own loins quivered at the thought of having to have endured the same thing. She could only pray it wouldn't happen to her anytime soon, if not ever. Once the unicorn seemed complete with her instinctual process of tending to the newborns (Myrrine had stepped back at this point to let her have her moment with her babies), she closed in one again, sniffing politely to make sure all was well with the dam," How are you feeling? Do you need any water? I can fetch you some water soaked moss while you rest. They're very beautiful by the way, congratulations!"

Beaming brightly the fellow mother looked kindly to her, warmth evident upon her features as it spread throughout her body. She couldn't help but feel proud to have witnessed this moment, to share it with this mom who might have felt lost and alone should she have not arrived right in time. She only hoped Laume would behave and not bombard the two little ones, who still needed time to cope. She let her gaze wander over the little ones teetering around aimlessly in search of milk, causing a warm and knowing smile to cross her lips. Her head turned to look at her own butterfly princess, giving her a tender kiss upon her head before looking back to the fellow mare politely," Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Myrrine, and this is my daughter Laume. It is a pleasure to meet all of you!"

OOC: Hope you don't mind me popping in!! Myrrine's "help people" instincts kicked in.



MYRRINE
Life's too short to live simply

semperfeisty | xxtgxxstock @dA | leeorr-stock @dA | jerry oldenettel @ flickr


@Ki'irha @Laume - hope you don't mind, just in case you wanted to come in and say hi. If not we can just assume she went to sleep? Lemme know if you want anything changed.
Any force is permitted aside from death or maiming
PLEASE TAG ME IN POSTS! :3

Ki'irha Posts: 176
Outcast atk: 4.5 | def: 9.0 | dam: 6
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15hh :: 5 years old HP: 64.5 | Buff: NOVICE
Noella
#5



They were nameless. As she looked at them fondly, wondering what she would call them. Would their names lead them to great destinies? Would they become great leaders, or gentle crafters? Would their names be shouted in celebration, or whispered in infamy? Through her mind whispered the names of so many she had known. Did she want to perpetuate legacies? Would her children believe they needed to live up to expectations?

An ear flicked, and a faint laugh bubbled through her lips. It was a ridiculous thing to get flustered over, and their names would not set any precedent for their futures. "My beautiful son," she began, watching his movements, learning his gait as he teetered towards her. "You need a name." Her head tipped to the side, happiness tugging at the corner of her eyes. She had never named anything before, so this pressure (times two) just added to the entire momentous occasion. "Your name should be something extraordinary. Something strong like a storm, yet warm like a ray of sun." The name came to her, the whisper of a word she had once heard, something mysterious and phenomenal. "Virga," she sighed happily, playing with one of the boy's black ears.

"And you," she crooned, smiling down at the filly, "my wonderful daughter. You were the first one I saw, and you shine brighter than the first star that graces the sky as night arrives. You deserve a name as fitting, as special, as what you remind me of. Vesper." Blue lips pressed a kiss between the soft ears of Vesper, nestled into the messy curls of baby mane.

A noise intrudes on their moment, and her ears twist and muscles tense as silver scanned the treeline. The woman, though a new mother, was still a warrior at heart, and she would not allow anything to endanger the beautiful sparkles that stood by her side. A snort left flared nostrils, and her tail lashed behind her. But as the stranger approached, Ki'irha realized she wasn't a total stranger after all. She visibly relaxed, though the defensive still hovered close under the surface. It wasn't until the butterfly woman mentioned water, that she realized how dry her mouth was. "Yes, water would be appreciated," she smiled, sharing the warm expression with Myrrine before dropping her gaze towards the butterfly-winged filly. So the butterfly woman must have experience with this whole thing, even if she was only ahead by a few weeks. Silver caught hazel, and a small laugh broke through. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you again, but I believe we've met before. We've had similar endeavors in the Threshold. I couldn't possible forget those wings." She looked back to the children, gently nudging them to feed until they had their fill. Looking back to Myrrine, she spoke again. "My name is Ki'irha. And these little ones," she cast a fond look back, "This is Virga and Vesper. They are my first, and probably my only." A chuckle left her lips. "You know, Myrrine, I have only just met them, but I never knew I was capable of loving anyone like this. I didn't know I was capable of loving with such strength and devotion."

She wondered, for a moment, of their father. Would they ever know him? Did he ever wonder if his union with the star girl had created lasting consequences? A sour taste appeared on her tongue at the thought of the word consequence. Usually the word was associated with poor results, but these children were anything but punishment. Mesec was a father, but she wouldn't be surprised if she never saw the moon stallion again. But that didn't matter. Her foals would never think they were missing half of the love they could receive. She would provide them with as much adoration and love as they could ever imagine receiving, and then some.

For a moment in the secrecy of the grove, with no one except Myrrine, the dying moon, and the newborn sun to bear witness, she wanted to make her commitment known. Mesec was a fleeting memory, (though a fond memory, nonetheless), but what he helped her create was eternal.

The blue looked upon them, eyes glittering in the pastel sunlight. She thought of everything her parents were for her, and everything that they weren't. So she made a vow to them, with words they certainly wouldn't understand in the moment, but a promise they would grow to understand. "From this day forward, I live for you. Before this day, nothing mattered. I never mattered. You two are my purpose. My horn will be your sword, and my body will be your armor. Until they day I die, I will protect you and nurture you. You both are the most precious things I have ever known. My love for you is forever, and I will never let a day go by where you question how much I cherish you." She dropped her head, laying a gentle kiss between Virga's ears, before brushing her cheek against the soft fur of Vesper's face.

Leaning back, eyes fell upon Myrrine. "I want to give them the world, but what if I fail?" For the first time since their birth she felt honest concern, and it drew lines across her face. "I'm not sure I know where to go from here. I can protect them, and I can teach them all I know, but what if that isn't enough?" The butterfly woman had a child, perhaps it wasn't her first. Maybe she could help, and calm the soft fears that began to creep into the blue girl's heart.

words

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Colored by Kels ♡
Lines by Bronzehalo

Please Tag Me ○ Permission for magic and injury is granted. Just no death or permanent harm.

Vesper Posts: 46
World's Edge Filly
Filly :: Tribrid :: 14.3hh :: Two
Everly :: Common Zephyr :: Roc Kiki
#6

The world still shifted beneath my feet – solid ground feeling very much like an unruly sea when standing on unsteady legs.  However, mother was there to anchor me.  Already I knew she will steady me if I stumble.  That thought was comforting.  Hadn’t only moments ago I missed that comfort?  It seemed momentary flicker of worry had been all for naught. Something that I had already determined about this life was things seemed to change so quickly – it was both exciting but so confusing.  I tried to shake the thoughts away but they were as persistent as the hunger that burned in my stomach, but I deferred to my brother who had already taken to nursing and leaned heavily into mother who’s turned her attention back to us.
 
I amused myself for a moment, inspecting my still wobbly legs, lifting one foot – then another, when a sound shattered my concentration.  It came from mother and drew my attention instantly.  Baby ears flicked in her direction and I stared up at her in wonder. That sound! The bubbly noise that spilled from mother’s lips!  I don’t know what it was, exactly, but what I did know was that it makes me undeniably happy.  I liked this noise – I wanted mother to make this noise more often.  I wonder if there are things that I could do to elicit this noise that seems to comes from the very depths of her. 
 
I recognized mother’s voice immediately, smiling as it spilled from her lips. Even though I had only ever heard the muffled sounds of her voice, the sound now is undeniable and inherently her.  How beautiful her voice is with nothing to separate us! It was only when mother turned her attention to brother that I took a moment to memorize every detail of them.  I never wanted to forget what they looked like.  What they smelled like.  What they felt like under my baby-nose.
 
And then I worked on memorizing the sounds too – the names - and I can comprehend what it means even though everything is still so new.  Brother is Virga and I am Vesper.  I wish I could mimic the sounds – test the names on my own tongue, but having not yet nursed my tongue felt heavy in my mouth.  I began to wander towards my first meal when I realized that mother’s attention had drifted away, and mine then drifted away as well.  There were others here – bringing with them new sounds and smells.
 
I eyed the strangers’ wings curiously.  They didn’t look at all like mine, nor did they look  like brother’s.  They were all varieties of colors of which I’d never seen before.  Part of me wanted to stumble my way over to them, to try get a closer look at the colors.  But two things kept me from doing so.  First, I just didn’t trust my legs to make the journey.  Second, mother’s comfort kept me tethered to her side and even curiosity and sheer strength of will wasn’t enough to break the bond that held me to her. So instead I leaned into her sweet comfort further, uncaring that her sides were still damp with sweat after the labor that she had endured. 

V E S P E R
Lines:1 2

Please tag Vesper in every post.
Force and magic are permitted, but please check before inflicting serious injury.

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Virga Posts: 42
Absent Abyss
Colt :: Tribrid :: Growing :: yearling
kae
#7

Mama speaks, and you don't understand a word, but the sound of her voice is a song woven through the bones of you. It's a part of you like the still-sharp air in your lungs, like the grass underfoot. You know it because you've heard it since before you could think. I mean, you're still not super great at thinking, but... Your head tips up and your delicate features are animate, alive with a vacant, utterly blissful brilliance. You lean into your mother's touch like a flower (moonflower?) growing toward the sun (and other stars?).

(Okay. That metaphor was bad.)

You receive your name now, though it means nothing to you. In time, I think it will. In time you will be Virga — something strong and warm — whatever that means, right? Ignorant of both prediction and intention, you snuggle close to your mom, and her lips are warm and welcome against the crown of your head, though her whiskers brush your ears in a ticklish sort of way and eventually you duck your head and give yourself a full-body shake. Impressive! I mean, considering you couldn't even stand a few minutes ago. You almost don't make it through the shake, but some kind of autopilot is coming online in your head and beginning to account for this reckless behavior. We'll call this another prediction: you're gonna need that not-quite-conscious athleticism in the future. Hopefully it levels up with you as you grow.

So, for a while you're busy nursing because that's what foals do, right? Right. You've got your head shoved up under Mama's stomach and you don't notice much about the rest of the world because you're hungry, so hungry. Being born's hard work, after all! Eventually you get tired of that and want to do some other stuff, though. You have a name and you can stand and move around and — holy shit! There's some kind of — of — monster other thing in here and when did that get there?

You go all freezy bow-legged for a long time and you just sort of stare at it. You've never seen anything like this. And if you had the capacity to think about it you might realize there was another voice joining Mama's before, but you weren't really clued in to the whole voices-belong-to-people fact and now your little heart wants more than anything to claw its way out from between your ribcage and run off and live feral with a colony of rabbits. Your tail stands straight up to express this calamity, and your head goes straight up, too, milk dripping from your long, fine whiskers.

The — wings? — on this mare don't immediately strike you as wings. Actually, nothing about the stranger screams kind like Mama sings kind, like Vesper does. And you remember Vesper suddenly, and skitter over to hide behind her or something. Maybe you just want to be next to her; maybe you feel like you're only facing things the right way if it's at her right side. Maybe you just want to make sure she's seen the danger and is not about to get gobbled up, because that's how a good brother behaves. Yeah, actually I'm sure that's it. So you stumble over to her to protect her because you're brave and shit, even though you look like you might actually fly apart any second due to nerves. Suddenly those spindly legs are spindly again, untrustworthy, and you're glad Mama's close by in case you fall or really need to hide under her stomach. You don't quite feel the need to hide yet, though, and your neck cranes as you try to stare the weird mare down, little ears twitching and twitching, like satellites looking for a read. Safe? Danger? Safe? Danger?

Virga
we prayed for rain
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@Ki'irha @Vesper @Myrrine
how do you even write foals :|


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