The festival had turned into a bitter disappointment. The forms of others seemed to slip past him continuously, writhing in their hedonistic enjoyment. Mares, stallions, creatures of all kinds interacted around him. It felt as though the world had lost its balance, and he had experienced a less than stellar interaction with Torielle. She didn’t seem to want to be around him, and he couldn’t piece together as to why that might be.
He felt like he had tried to provide her with all the reasons why they were fated. She obviously didn’t believe a single thing he had said. She had fled his side in both their short interactions. Each moment striking further into his heart his obsession with her, the further she slipped from his grasp the more he desired her. Nothing else in this world held significance. Nothing else mattered.
Until they were side by side, running in the night. He felt that she was the balance he required, that was why the gods had driven him here. He suspected his mother would be fond of Torielle. He felt as though he knew her, they had been born on this very plane for each other. The smell of smoke reminded him of his mothers cooking. The joy of the citizens around him, reminded him of what his home had been like before he had lost his mother.
He stood in deep introspection, icey blue eyes staring into the dancing flickering flames. The desert devils kicking up their heels and tormenting him at his inadequacies. Taunting that they had clearly chosen the wrong stallion for the job, that he may as well just not bother. Others snidely remarked that he simply had to try harder, that she was unimpressed with his lack of effort. Other whispering voices simply told him that maybe there were others that would like him better.
It was difficult at times to piece together the separate whispers of the desert gods. The devils and gods were much the same. They were different forms of the same grains of sand of the desert back home. They too had traveled all this way with him. He wondered what they would form to look like for Torielle or others if he could show them. What things would they whisper to her?
@Veil Nebula
image by:https://giphy.com/Allyouneediswall
03-02-2022, 07:26 PM - This post was last modified: 03-02-2022, 07:27 PM by Jarek
Visions of your pretty face send me into hyper space
Caught up in a palentary world
The star felt like her insides were pulsating in rapid fire.
A constant action, and the reaction of nuclear fission, feeding everything a heightened amount of energy that urged her forward. Frantic. Confused. Terrified. Where was she. Leaving Jane hadn't been hard. There had been progress made there, and while Jane would always be someone she cared for deeply . . . . Torielle meant so much more . . . but as soon as she hard started to look for her, the star was growing more aware of what the universe wanted her to know - Torielle wasn't close by. The star forced herself to calm down, shaking her head, the bells and crystals chiming as they danced, pinned up in her locks. Eyes closing, she settles her star, she calms her mind. What should she do.
Her eyes snap open and she begins to move.
Wings are held close to her side as she makes her way to where she had last seen Tori talking to that stallion. The one the universe whispered warnings about. The way mars was watching him too closely, glinting a little too brightly, as if he were destined to embrace trouble, or be troubled himself. It's the hard part of divining, even further connected within the web once more - trying to discern what each glimmer of knowledge meant. But she didn't like the idea of Torielle being close to him. It made the butterflies in her stomach spur to life, and turn into angry birds, pecking and clawing to rip from her chest.
She pauses in her trek, noticing the very beast by the fire.
The star stills for a moment, her gaze jumping to every creature in his vicinity. No . . . . Torielle. Instantly the star was moving, bells chiming, crystals reflecting light, making the already dazzling star appear even more so the goddess Torielle playfully referred to her as. Silks, and veils hung from her hips, over her tail, wrapped around her shoulders and between her wings. Torielle had picked well when dressing the divining star. She approached cautiously, her head held high, galactic gaze locked on, the stars trapped in her rose-hued eyes sparkling in time with the stars peaking out overhead. You are the one Torielle was speaking to earlier. It's not a true greeting, but her concern deems it 'good enough' to engage in speaking.
The star waits for him to turn before she willingly continues her speech.
Is she not with you? Have you seen her? There is an edge to her tone, sharpened by the distinct worry that hangs over the small star like a black hole, ready to consume her if something had gone wrong with Torielle. Her gaze, while still warm, and gentle, is never wavering. She seems to pause, hesitating, remembering after a moment that the mortals prefer pleasantries, and she shifts, I apologize, I should not be so haste to interrogate you. She amends with a delicate dip of her head, the bells fastened into her forelock, hanging over the scarf that is tied around her head, and beneath the rose-braid behind her ear; chime melodically with the movement. I am simply concerned as to the whereabouts of my friend.
He turned to face the direction of the voice seemingly speaking to him. He had never seen anyone with this kind of colouration before. These lands seemed to cultivate all kinds of folks, some with wings and unique abilities; others with fantastical colours. Her sentences were short and sharp. It did get to the purpose of her speech quickly, it didn’t bother him all that much. It was just a peculiar fashion of speaking.
The flickering shadows of the fire light danced across his dark coloured coat. Its rough rocky patches reflecting light and glimmering slightly. Jarek stood looking almost like a statue in the night beside the fire, he had been so captivated in his own thoughts before this mare had arrived.
“She left heading that direction after only speaking to me for a short time.” he said indicating the direction he had seen her leave hastily. “She had mentioned that she was meeting someone else and seemed in a rush.” he added as softly as he could manage with his graveled voice. He paused to think for a moment before continuing to speak. “My name is Jarek, what do you prefer to be called?”
“I do hope Torielle is ok, we have only had fleeting meetings - truth be told I do not know her very well. There is no need to apologize, it is very reasonable to be worried about someone you obviously care alot about. Would you like some assistance to find her?” his icy blue eyes shifted to make eye contact as he asked the question.
Nervous feelings fluttered in his chest, it only drew up the question once more. Who was she meeting? Was it this mare or someone else? If something had happened to her it would be an unmeasurable tragedy. She was precious beyond what she meant to Jarek individually. While his growing emotional desire to be close to her played a strong factor in his worry. The universe itself needed Torielle; she was the thread that held the layers together in the fate that was to be. Who knows what destiny they would be thrown into without her.
Visions of your pretty face send me into hyper space
Caught up in a palentary world
The star wasn't hesitant about staring down this massive stallion.
He may look alarming with his size, with his rocky and ore appearance - as if gems themselves had fused with his body - a mess of stone, and mineral. But for Tori, Veil would silence her own connection to the stars. So she tilted her head, and she questioned the man. He speaks after a moment, telling her of how Tori had left in a direction he indicated, a short period after they had spoken. That she had mentioned meeting someone and being in a rush.
Veil's frown deepened immediately.
She should have come to me, to find me upon concluding her talk with you. The star states simply with a frown and small sigh, her gaze turning away, looking in the direction he indicated. She should have come across me from where I was speaking to a friend with tea and snacks - waiting for her return. She blinks, looking back at him when he asks her what she prefers to be called by, even as he gives her his actual name. Veil seems to pause, her gaze searching him over slowly.
In that moment the universe was judging him.
Mars frowns upon you, Jarek. It waits for the war you will bring to the hearts of those you will touch. Whether they fight for you, or against you; only you shall decide. In that moment, the star was speaking to him directly as a conduit for the heavens. The Universe does not take kindly to your assumptions on what it intends for you. She adds, her eyes narrowing. The stars are not to be trifled with, as an excuse for predatory, possessive behaviors. Only then does she give her name.
I am The Veil Nebula. And Torielle is my dearest friend.
It was a warning. She wouldn't deny it, even as the universe seemed to continue to eye and watch and judge him. At his concern for Torielle, however, she relaxes slightly, before her eyes close. Instantly the stars come alive in her mind, whispering and filly her with senses and emotions. Rapid heart flutters, nervousness, agitation, and concern. I am sure she is fine. She says after a moment, before looking up at the man again, her muzzle dipping in acknowledgement, She is the dearest person to me. She agrees, before shaking her head, No, there is no need to search for her. I have faith when she is ready to come from what ever hole she has hidden herself in, she will find me.
Those emotions swirl, reassuring her of Tori's condition.
She is fine, if not . . . concerned still. Like a fawn looking over their shoulder for a hunter. But not being hunted. Cautious. But . . . getting better. She feels like a weight has lifted from her chest, If she is in danger, the universe will not hesitate to inform me. She adds, I am precious to the universe, a child lost from it's fold. It would not intentionally hurt me by keeping me un-informed to the wellbeing of one so precious to me.
She returns to eye him again, and that sense of judging comes back.
You are correct you do not know her well. But you wish to place her upon a pedestal of your own creation. Do not be foolish to think you can know the fates decision based on your lack of perceived knowledge on the intention of the divine. Take from a star, and a monk. There are forces in this world you shall never be privy to. And deciding for yourself what is meant to be will do nothing but cause pain and suffrage for all involved. And I will not tolerate your attempts to possess someone so important to me. You put to much weight into your own opinions, and claim it divine prophecy. As a prophet, I will not stand for you to twist Torielle's heads with your false prophecies." She gentles her gaze, and her smile returns, the stars trapped in her rose-hued eyes gentling considerably.
You would only be hurting her, and yourself.
She doesn't hesitate, her nature being one to gentle and aid others, her muzzle touching his neck gently, You search for a reason, but do not confuse lust with intervention. It will only end in pain and suffrage for those involved. If you wish for a true message, I can always take you to the peak of Veneror Mountain, so you may see upon the Gods who govern Novus, so you may meditate on what they may have planned for you, Jarek of the Desert People. The star whispers gently, before pulling back and away from him, But please stop trying to find justification for your actions in the universe. The universe doesn't not work like that. And it displeases it for you to claim personalized connections when you can never truly understand just what the universe acts as.
He listened to her speech carefully. The words came thick and heavy, applying weight to his mind. He felt somewhat trapped in these accusations, as she spoke them - they seemed reasonable. His mind fluttered in circles trying to digest what was being said. He stood silently and listened to her words. If his visions were incorrect, or worse yet misguiding; what were the source of them? Was he being tormented by something darker?
Jarek was intensely distrustful of most things, he also found that the spirits could be cruel at times. That they were both taunting and guiding. He had never had the experience of another just laying things out so clearly. How did this mare know so much about him? Clearly Torielle and her had been speaking. But it struck deeper than that. She spoke of the universe and its desires. The gods of Novus he wasn’t familiar with, they didn’t whisper to him or guide him.
The intervention from his desert gods had felt so divine and fated. Perhaps they were better phrased as devils if this creature in front of him was to be believed. Continuing to stand in silence he stared into the middle ground as his mind churned and tossed. It was a lot to take in. If this lady he now knew to be called the Veil Nebula was correct he had been wrong on so many issues. He couldn’t find the words to speak, overwhelmed with both grief and terror.
His entire world had been built around his religious understanding. This new information did fill some holes in his understanding. It made sense as to perhaps why the whispers had started to feel more distant on arriving here. Why would they urge him to Novus and then seemingly lose their connection to him? He felt abandoned and hollow.
“I see.” He replied softly to her comment that he would only cause harm. He had never wished to hurt Torielle, he had sought a life of meaning with her, to provide for her and protect her. Clearly this was misguided. He wanted to show the Prophet the things he had seen and felt. That perhaps she would understand how enduringly convincing it all had felt. That the whispers in the flickering firelight and the visions weren’t something he had fabricated, but was something he had experienced. “If not the universe, then who speaks to me? Who drives these visions and senses in my mind” He directed the question not only towards Veil, but also towards life itself.
Torielle seemed to trust and like Veil, so he felt inclined to believe what he was told. She seemed to have an open heart and be trustworthy. The rising panic within him made his heart flutter, this entire experience was terrifying. It was any wonder Torielle had wanted nothing to do with him. Could Torielle see so deeply into his faults as Veil could? Could they pull back the layers of his mind, and see his failure?
image by:https://giphy.com/Allyouneediswall
03-06-2022, 11:34 PM - This post was last modified: 03-06-2022, 11:35 PM by Jarek
Visions of your pretty face send me into hyper space
Caught up in a palentary world
She had disturbed his mind.
She could feel the shift in the air, the emotions fed to her through the bond she had with the very magic that created the world. The very claim the universe took to everything. Always eager to assist her, always eager to cater to her. It filled her belly with the sense of weight, as if she was being dragged beneath the waters, her head barely kept above water. As if her mind was becoming clouded. Her world becoming senseless. Unsteady hooves on a thin sheet of ice, begging it not crack and send her to the depths. She reaches towards him, her expression concerned. She moves without hesitation, her muzzle alighting against his neck, as high up as the small creature could reach - for she had to acknowledge she was small next to him, Hush, you are weighing to much of your own self worth on what you have rewritten desire into fact. It is okay to be uncertain, to not know how to move forward. But the recklessness you embrace so willingly cannot continue.
Her voice is soothing, and light, and as she pulls her muzzle back, she offers a smile.
It is kind, filled with warmth and wisdom, and the softness the star woman was known for. She shakes her head, the small chiming of her bells not unlike Torielle's chiming antlers. A part of her fears the end of this event, when she would have to return the garments . . . It's a silent acknowledgment that she should speak upon purchasing her new garb, the monetary distraction meant to give him a moment to find his own balance once again. Still, she doesn't move far from him, ready to soothe his turmoil again if he looked like he was about to descend. She hoped her words, her actions would help. Help him. Help Tori. Help all involved in the mess that was the stallion chasing a false prophecy. With creatures that sung their expectations, hidden behind sand so he could not see the wrath in their gazes. If I may be so bold, the star starts, Why do you follow your desert gods that seem to reap reward from your own destruction. Her concern was palatable.
Her muzzle twisted into a small frown, her eyes watching with concern.
Forlorn even in the knowledge that his destiny would always be his to control - but those that whispered their guidance seemed fit to lead him into a tale of despair, war, hate, and death. For surely, that would be the end to this saga at its current rate. This stallion who would ignore the ways of Novus. You are no longer in the Desert, and the gods you follow have no sway in these lands. Tempus and his children watch over those in this world, and regardless of if you follow a court, or not; I do not believe they would forsake you if you ask for their guidance as well. She smiles warmly, I claim no court, and the staff in my chest feels like it is overfilled with their love when I bow before their temples. Have you sought a second opinion on this grand destiny you envision for yourself? She circles around to his side, stardust collecting at their hooves, and she uses her wing to indicate to the small relics, portable altars set up for each of the gods at the far side of the festival. Even from their distance, the gifts left at the foot of the alters were numerous, and as she indicates to them, another soul approaches to bow before their court sovereign, placing a gift before the god and caressing the statue with tender love. Those of this land put so much love and faith into the Gods who watch over them.
Her words are an explanation as she turns her gaze back up to him.
Do you think they would behave with half of that reverence, that love for the gods if they behaved in the manner in which your gods have tormented you? She questions gently, before using her wing to guide his attention back to her, meeting his gaze, I do not mean to make little of the relationship you have with your Desert origins, that is not my intention in this explanation. But I do believe that as long as you only follow the guidance of outsiders, you miss out on the ways of Novus. Not the Courts, but the very energy, the very magic that gives this island life." She tells him, stepping away again. Let me ask you this, Jarek of the Desert Lands; what is it about Torielle that have you hunting her as if she has no choice in her own life? Do you wish to steal her chance to make her own decisions? Does that sit right with you - does it truly? I have no answers for who may drive your visions, who gives you these stories you have directed your life by. But do you not owe it to yourself, to those you care about - to try and look for that answer.
She gently smiles again, her magic filling her with rising panic.
Her wing guides his attention back to her, and she motions to a nearby tree, You're heart is open to the possibilities if you only wish to start searching for those answers. But falling into panic will do nothing but warp your decisions. If you wish, join me for tea; and I will do my best to answer any questions you have. Just because the stars have no approval of the path you are on, does not mean we wish to cast you off as a soul who cannot be saved. So let me save you from a disaster of your own making. For not just Tori's sake, but for your own. Because you're not a failure, you're merely misguided on the words of those who hide behind sands . . . and once you learn that it's okay to not know what is planned for your life - only then can the universe start to assist you. That is the way the Universe works. It does not give items to achieve for. It sets things into motion so it happens naturally. You're not supposed to try for it. Her words fall with a soft laugh, a kind expression, You're just supposed to accept it when it comes, and it's very rare to know when it happens, until much, much after the fact. We cannot watch the butterfly flap its wings and see the storm it blows elsewhere. We only know the connection, after the fact; when we've already accepted the outcome.
He needed to stop trying so hard to write his own destiny.
He felt her muzzle touch his neck, breaking him from his spiral. The warm touch is so unfamiliar but welcome. Her breath on his flesh was warm and reassuring. He didn’t move, unsure of what was appropriate, he held inwards the desire to press his cheek against hers. He dared not to push a boundary incorrectly, or break this spiritual moment. No one had provided him a moment of comfort such as this one since he had lost his mother all those years ago. His voice internally screeched at his struggle to process this shift of understanding. The realization of a touch of insight to self was overbearing.
He felt her withdraw her touch as she continued to speak to him. He kept his eyes closed feeling overwhelmed with trying to process too many senses. The chiming of the Prophet woman's bells reminded him of his misdeeds with Torielle, his behaviour was more apparent now than it ever had been before. He had been a fool, he had been led to believe wicked spirits were actually in tune with the universe. The chaotic nature of the universe had gotten its grasp on him.
He didn’t have an answer that adequately explained why he followed them. They were all he had ever known. From the day his mother had perished he had heard them whispering in the wind. “It’s all I’ve ever known,” he said simply, his voice soft and strained. Fear welled within him at her next words. That he could approach the gods of these lands and ask for their guidance. “But what if the others punish me?” He opened his eyes and looked upon her warm expression. She seemed to somehow have all the answers.
Each word she spoke struck him like barbs of truth, revealing his failings. He would have much to make up for. Plenty of improvement to strive for. And a bucketload of apologies owed; if they would hear them. It all made sense. There was a reason he left the desert afterall. Things had deteriorated there beyond repair. His family was all dead and gone, he had been alone. The whispers had driven him away from all that he had ever known. But now he was here, trying to make sense of the world.
He paused for a moment to think of how best to answer her. “I could feel what I thought was our connection deep in the depth of my gut. I have run and explored with her dreams, connected in mind and spirit. The desert gods whispered to me of our fates. Evidently I owe her an apology.” The words were difficult to speak, and as he spoke them he could hear how from this perspective they would be received poorly. He followed her motion. Hoping that the desert gods themselves would blow away like grains of sands on the wind and not forever haunt him. He had never had tea, but if Veil thought it was appropriate for this situation then surely it would help. The movement helped distract his mind from the circling despair that was welling within him. “ I am open, but I am afraid.” he added softly, dipping his head. His father would have destroyed him if he had seen Jarek in this moment, he wondered if his mother would have approved of this journey into Novus.
Visions of your pretty face send me into hyper space
Caught up in a palentary world
Veil's instinct was to soothe as if he were a frightened child.
So as her muzzle alighted upon his skin, it wasn't truly hesitating. It was a natural desire to comfort and reassure from a being who had yet to comprehend the physical distances and bubbles most creatures held dear to them. Just as she did with Torielle (though certainly not on the same level of that need to touch) she didn't hesitate to offer comfort in physical expression. It was likely, her own past of loneliness aided in this unspoken, unhesitating reassurance. Growing up in the vast vacuum of space, with the other stars happy to chatter with her, but otherwise alone, no one beside her for so, so long. Now that she was among other equines, she too craved that knowledge that she was not alone.
She craved that knowledge she wouldn't have to be alone again.
And in turn, she had no need to learn of boundaries as she grew after her unorthodox creation. She simply did not hesitate to want to help him see it could be better. For his own future that was shrouded in doubt, like a cloud of ochre that hung over an otherwise beautiful picture, starting to already tinge the upcoming years with dust, and war. That was not a future she wanted Torielle to be any part of either, and the stars whispered warnings to her about that attraction and possession he carried like a desperate man holding onto the last morsel of food around a clan of hungry nomads trapped in the mountains without provisions. Soon, he'd lose his grip, and he too would spiral into madness with them. The madness of hunger, of carnal desires, and of false prophets inking despair and desire into his heart and claiming they were equal to the blessings of Tempus.
His path was not one he would wish to be on if he knew what she saw.
What the heavens whispered to her when she divined. What the oracles hinted at when she prophesized when she asked of what was to come. She steps back, her words never ceasing; always provoking, prodding, encouraging even as they cautioned. Opening up his mind, his eyes, his understanding was her intentions, and the star was determined to see him come to that stark realization of where he was sending himself. And it wasn't into the grace of Torielle. Torielle was not a possession he could just take claim to, she refused to let that happen. Not just because Torielle was the dearest person in her interstellar life, but also because Torielle should never loose the ability to choose.
If a stallion like this is what Torielle wanted, she would support her.
If Torielle wished to lean upon her . . . . well, Veil wouldn't oppose. Not if the way her star burned brighter was any indication - Torielle's touching lighting the nuclear fission processes within her being and making her feel like she could implode into a cataclysmic event. She couldn't express words the lightness she felt in Torielle's presence, as if Torielle controlled the gravity around her, and her touch threatened to send Veil back into hyperspace as the entire world disappeared until it was just she and her . . . and oh how she would love to show Torielle the beauty of the stars from the very world she came from. She would pluck the very stardust from her own skin to wreath Torielle in their glow. The brightest star in Veil's sky was the very spirit of Torielle's existence.
She was still naive enough to not realize what these emotions alluded to, however.
Still new enough to civilization: many such precious emotions were unnamed, unexplained. The swell of heat she felt in her gut as she watched the stallion present a white veil to Torielle had rocked her almost to her knees, hot and sizzling, but without the knowledge that it was called jealousy. Talking to him now, and seeing the confused child deep inside, who craved the reassurances of another, that needed the guidance of a counsel soothed that firey being that wanted to rip into him for daring to try to possess her Torielle. Instead, she focused on educating where he had lost his way.
And so, the star smiles in gentle understanding.
I fell, you know. THe words seem out of place, but her gaze had trailed to the sky. Was a shooting star past this planet, and flew too close to the gravitational pull. It was terrifying, I remember the pain so vividly. There is a crater upon the mountain from where I impacted with it at full speed. But in the truest manner, I'm more meteorite than a star at times. But it meant that everything I had known was suddenly different. In the expanse of space, there is no sound, no smells, or tastes. Just a vacuum. Sure, I heard the voices of the stars within my very being; but . . . when I first woke up to this world it was a sensation overload. The sun was warm to my skin, the scent of pine was so stark, the sounds of nature so loud. It was unknown to me.
She smiled in reassurance, explaining the process of such unknowns.
Everything I had ever known was suddenly vastly different. It is scary to lose that foundation, to find yourself with a sudden lack of knowledge, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. You learn you grow, and in time, you know new things. You learn cultures, and about people. You see things from the eyes of an insider, rather than the reluctance of an outsider. You simply need to be brave enough to take the first step. She tilts her head when he suddenly speaks of the fear of being punished by the gods of Novus, and she laughs, her gaze warm and reassuring, Why would they punish you? Beyond being led astray by those you have put trust into, who wear the mask of gods; you have yet to do anything truly dark yourself, right? Her wings lift, touching either side of his face, guiding his eyes back to hers, and she smiles warmly, The funny thing about gods, is they have our best interests at heart, and they can be merciless, but also forgiving. Especially when you present yourself prone before them asking for their help. But do not be so selfish as to only ask, and never give of them. To turn to them, you must do so wholey. With offering in hand, and the desire to get to know them, you may celebrate their glory - not just in times where they provide for you, but in the times when they do not.
She grinned, slightly cheeky, But that is a slow build process.
Do not expect instant gratification from them; nor expect yourself to instantly invest in their might. I believe they would be understanding the place you came from, and know that the progression forward will not be instantaneous. There is much for you to learn, to change, to grow, and become stronger for. It is not an easy process to turn one's self around. But, even stars change their colors with time, and I believe, you too can change as well. He wasn't a failure, he wasn't a waste, or unsaveable, he was a boy still confused and lost without the proper teachings to guide him into the man he could have been. A boy denied so much, he grew into a stallion who could only crave and demand. Slowly he was opening his eyes to that.
We always search for divine in our daily lives.
She muses quietly, before moving to lean into him, to offer the touch of comfort, the heat of her star a gentle but reassuring warmth, But, sometimes, dreams are just that . . . . dreams, wishes our hearts make. Perhaps it wasn't meant to tell you that you were connected to her. You just wished for that connection to be real? You want that deep connection to another being. The one who could light your soul like a spark, and make you soar higher than any bird in the sky. But, for such connections to be established, it must be a two-way street. You cannot force another to feel for you in the way you want them to. The glory of intelligent design is our ability to choose, and to reason. Would you deny a woman you would claim to love; those very abilities? She asked without judgment.
She wasn't there to judge, even if she disapproved of his choices thus far.
But she knew everyone had a point, a breaking point. The trick was maneuvering it to do the most good, while limiting the most damage, and she appeared to be succeeding when he acknowledged owing Torielle an apology, I would think that is a very wise place to start. She stated, nodding her head approvingly, before smiling when he admitted to being open for some tea, but being afraid, Fear isn't something to chastise yourself for. It means you're aware enough to know things are out of your control, and being alarmed is a completely natural response. She smiled again, motioning for him to follow her to a vendor, her wings held slightly aloft, one guiding him to follow until he would begin walking, and then retracting again. As if he were a foal rather than a grown man, But to live behind that fear, and never grow; that is what one should truly fear. She tossed back her loose curls, bells, and crystals chiming with in the dark mauve of her mane, reflecting light like small sparks of a rainbow in those locks, refracting the glow of the bonfire as if she were the goddess Torielle teased her of being.
She motioned to a random vendor, her smile inviting.
I have come to learn that a hot drink can settle nerves far more smoothly - and quickly than anything else. Please, pick whatever strikes your fancy. She stated, as the seller already pushed a cup of something flowery and sweet towards the star dusted women that spoke of familiarity with the shop. Once both had their orders, she led him to a spot beneath one of the trees, lights coiled in the branches to provide extra illumination in the late hour. Settling herself down among the pillows, she motioned for him to join her, her gaze calm, but welcoming. Reassuring, like a goddess reassuring her pupil, a mother nurturing her child, a woman helping someone in need, and asking nothing in return. Talk it out with me then, Jarek. Tell me; what it is about Torielle that made you so certain she was a prize presented to you. Perhaps, if we can figure out where this all started, we can see things have led you astray, and we can return you to the proper path of growth and moving forward.
And ideally, help him realize Torielle was not a gift he could unwrap and control.
Jarek felt like he was standing on top of a tightrope performing a delicate balancing act. He was a very hefty stallion, and this would be a difficult feat at any moment. Emotionally he felt like he could fall at any moment and be consumed by the shadows beneath him. The stark reality that was making its presence known in his mind was that no one would miss him if he fell. He was as alone in the world as he had ever been. Except there was a dazzling light guiding him along the tightrope, helping him balancing and providing him comfort.
What truly was the motivation of the mare to aid him? He pushed these feelings of paranoia deeper down within him, and attempted to focus on the moment. Not all beings sought to take advantage of one another. But this was the environment he had been raised in, and the only experience he had known. In turn this was the experience he was pushing onto others without being entirely aware of his own actions.
Was he driven here actually for the purpose of salvation? Or was this just another thought of self grandeur and assigning meaning where there was none. The all consuming shadows of relative meaninglessness. Even the stars above would be unable to guide him in the darkness, it was now a grounded star that was guiding him to a different fate all together.
He listened carefully again to the words she continued to speak. She had literally fallen from the sky itself. She had been up in the sky standing with the gods themselves. Thoughts of doubt of her motivation were stripped from his mind. Even if she had an ulterior motive to guide him; she seemed to understand. His mind once more reminded him that Torielle trusted Veil, and that he too should. She was the first spark of sense that had glimmered in his life in a long time.
“My birth resulted in the death of my mother, my life was started on a path of suffering from an early age. My father was a brute. It’s hardly an excuse for how ignorant I have been.” his own mind once more lashing itself with rising hatred. How disgusted he had become with himself now the blinkers had been removed. How his perception had shifted with the influence of Veil. How patient she continued to be to lead him along his tightrope and out of the darkness. He flickered between raw awareness of the situation unfolding, and numbness. It took effort and focus to keep his mind focused.
The warm weight of her body pressed to his was reassuring and firm. He had hardly realized how starved of touch and affection he had been. “I would let her choose.” he cut himself off from speaking further, realizing any other words would be nothing more but excuses. As she motioned for him to follow her for tea, the slipping of the warmth of her side from his was notable. Her bells ringing and reminding him once more of the reality he had found himself firmly lodged in. A lifetime worth of suffering shattering around him, perception warping and changing.
“It wasn’t that she was a prize. She was not a reward. It was something greater. They had whispered to me of a mare that would complete me. That our souls were stitched in time to be fated for one another to be complete. They had whispered to me that without me, she would never be truly complete. That Torielle needed me as much as plants need the sun to flourish. It felt dire and urgent. It is now clear to me that it was false promises of the life Torielle and I could have led together.” He had not spoken so clearly, and frankly so honestly in his lifetime. It was only once he had managed to say this that he felt like he could rightly sip on the tea. The warmth of its lemon taste soothing to his very soul. It reminded him of how he felt when Veil touched him. It made him feel very much less alone. It only made him wonder further, if it had been the gods plan for him to fall all along.
Visions of your pretty face send me into hyper space
Caught up in a palentary world
The star tilted her head to the side.
She was both paying attention to him, as well as the guiding force that wished for her to tread carefully to awaken his attention to what was playing with his thoughts. Clouding his intentions. Twisting what should have been a purpose into something sinister and corrupt. How it played with his idea of building a family and herd; and turned it into a slave encampment of woman chained down by a man who only sought to control and devour them. Family, one could scoff at such an idea if they saw the path he lay waste to. It wasn't a man who wanted a brighter future. It was a man who wanted a captivated audience forced to dance to his tune.
It wasn't a future she would willing subject Torielle to.
Even if she had to take Torielle away from this man and hide her among the stars. She would make sure that was not the future Torielle had. Torielle deserved the world, and Veil would make sure she had it. So she put herself forward, she set out to fix what was wrong. He was listening carefully, taking the words she spoke and soaking them in. She smiled with relief to see him taking her words, taken them into account. She did blink in surprise when he spoke of his own story, and it was again that rising emotions of how he was feeling that seemed to entice her response.
Her wing brushed against his side, soft and brushing against his spine.
A smoothing motion, gently letting those feathers roll across his back, as if soothing a frightened child, While it may be a path of suffrage, do not place the blame upon your own shoulders. You phrase it so you weary the weight of that loss, when it is not your burden to carry. Would you blame the mother for birthing a dead foal? In that same regard, do not blame the foal for the mother's death. The way of the universe is that there is always a reason. He stated gently, before tilting her head, It may not excuse the ignorance, but your acknowledgement of the ignorance does make it forgivable. Only by perceiving our flaws can we begin to rise above them. You wish to provide salvation for others, no? So perhaps you should begin by providing salvation for yourself. The star recommended.
Veil was a creature who knew the troubles of loneliness.
At it was that driving knowledge that led her to be reassuring. She couldn't comprehend the idea of being touch starved, purely for the fact such actions were something knew to her knowledge. Prior to landing on this planet - she did not know there were others to miss the touch of. But affection was in no short supply among the stars, and so she willingly bridged gaps to provide the reassurance in the manner she'd been taught in her time here, her body against his, her words soothing but teaching. He starts to state he would let her choose, before stopping himself and she tilts her head, before leading him to a vendor.
Only once they had settled did he seem to find his words.
He states Torielle wasn't meant to be a prize or a reward, and she frowns, Yet, you see her as a gift to you - from the gods. Do you not see the contradiction in your words? She asked gently, before frowning when he spoke that it had been something greater. A mare to complete him, souls stitched to time, before the alarm bells went off with the idea that she would never be complete with out him.. Her Tori needed him to flourish. Her frown deepens, They have led you astray. Why would one being need another to flourish. That is the majesty of life. We find ways to flourish in our own ways. She forces herself to take a deep breath, least her own anger flourish in that moment.
There are stories of those who share a soul.
She starts simply, They are two parts of a whole, that when they come together it's an instant reaction on both sides. A sense of balance, of peace and prosperity. Of two beings who realize they found what was missing in that other person, because with out that other individual they were merely one half of a whole. You have been led a stray by a corrupted version of this tail. Had Torielle truly been such a person for you - that very first meeting would have seen the both of you weary to part. Instead, you flourished under the weight of possession, and she faded under the strength of oppression. Does that sound like a glorious thing to you? She brushed her muzzle against his neck, a soft, and soothing touch. You were played a fool by the ones you took reverence in. But your eyes are opening to that fact. I just hope, you can see where it went wrong.
And you can look for where things have gone right.
She pulled away, giving her own self a moment to settle with a sip of her tea, watching him from beneath her purple curls, as the stardust collects upon the ground around them, as if bringing the universe down to cradle her, There are thousands of stars in the sky, I myself once lived above, a glittering point untouchable by those who pass time by. I have seen lives lost, hearts won, and any number of romance stories that bring tears to the eye . . . I think you could have such a story . . . but only if you stop looking. The best love stories don't happen when you chase after the one that walked away. They come from the one that fits into your life with out you noticing. Just one day, waking up and realizing they've been there, and you pray they never go away. It's not an immediate page turner, it's a slow build into a raging fire. A spark of friendship that builds into love. But should you ever force it to flow at an unnatural rate, that is when the fire will consume you, and destroy the very thing you wish to obtain, losing it forever. So please. Be careful in such ventures of love. You have much potential to offer Jarek, but your ways now will only trap, not nurture. And that's no love story anyone wishes to hear.
