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Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-22-2026
Nearby, her horse grazes on the meadowland. Biscuit is always happy to make the trip out here; it usually means an easy workday and a good deal of time to meander and mow the lawn with her teeth. Colt doesn’t come often, but when she does, she tends to whittle away the hours here in thought and memory. She doesn’t intend to do that quite so wholly today, although there’s no denying a shawl of melancholy is draped around her shoulders, the weight causing them to curve in as she sits on her hands on the bench, head bowed to stare at the ground between her feet.
Her folks have actual graves, but she’s never felt she needs to stand before the stone to pay her respects. She does so often enough in her own home, in her mind even, but there is a nice quality to sitting here on the bench and staring out at a landscape shaped by death. The flowers and bread she’s brought lay beside her, ready for whenever she decides to place them on the offering areas.
It’s a peculiar place perhaps to ask Zavien to meet her, but she’s on a short timeframe before leaving, and she felt it was important to leave a lingering offer here before she goes for too long.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-22-2026
Sol arrives first, ignoring Colt's melancholy mood as easily as an annoying spiderweb. He drops from the misty sky and lands with a hopping chirp next to her on the bench, all trills and wagging tails as he nuzzles her arm for pets. The golden dragon is quite insistent, already rolling onto his back for her to find the spots on his lower belly that might send his leg thumping, his only other interest momentarily drifting to the nearby bread.
Following his companion with an air of exasperation and unending apologies, Zavien winces as he jogs to a stop next to her, recognizing the situation better than his bonded. [say]"I'm so sorry. I hope he didn't interrupt anything. We had some time and decided to come early, but we can come back later if you want, or if today's not a good day..."[/say] He lets his rambling voice fade out, knowing it probably isn't helping, and being more than aware that he won't be able to hear her answer if he's talking.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-23-2026
A ripple of motion sweeps across her entire body, dramatic in the lean and the full wave, but controlled in the subtle shifts and the quiet draw of breath. She’s caught herself just as fast as she’s lost it, the surprise turning into recognition. [say]”Sol!”[/say] she greets, a laugh breaking through at the end as disruption settles. Thing coming from the sky are usually birds, and she doesn’t have the best history with those, but the little dragon doesn’t deserve the same categorization.
Offering her hand to his scales, nails scritching at the corners and pockets she imagins are hard for him to reach easily on his own, Colt doesn’t bother glancing about for Zavien. She’s certain he’s not far behind, and for the moment she’ll take the small peace of having a conversation with another living thing without any words needing exchanged. Funny really, how often Thorn pressed her to talk, and yet she has never needed to in order to get on well with her dogs and horses. Proof, in her mind, that actions speak louder than words.
She’s just noticed Sol’s interest int he bread when Zavien darts up the hill. She spares him a glance, amber gaze dull in the grey light of the season, but soon enough she’s watching the tears she’s pulling off the bread to offer Sol. It feels fitting to deliver food tot he deceased, but she has no doubt that wild creatures are who benefit from it, not the silent stones. Memories are not fed with such tangible things, but Sol is.
[say]”No interruption,”[/say] she soothes with an easy and dismissive sway to her voice, smile catching on the end as she offers out the bites to the dragon. [say]”Just graves around here, no eggshells, so no need to tiptoe.”[/say] Maybe if it’d been fresh grief, or if he’d happened upon her, but as is she rather thinks a bit of normalcy and life is exactly what this place is always in need of. [say]”Was saying goodbye to my parents,”[/say] she explains, finally lifting her full attention to him. [say]”Not sure how often I’ll make it back to see them, so thought I should say it properly.”[/say]
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-24-2026
Colt is quickly becoming Sol's favorite person, even rivaling Zavien with the skilled angling of her hands. He becomes a vibrating mess of rumbling purrs(?), his tail and hind leg smacking against the wood of the bench as he stretches farther into her touch, eyes rolling back when she hits that perfect spot that has his body seizing with satisfaction. He falls limp only as she reaches for the bread, staring smugly at Zavien from his upside-down position.
Rolling onto his stomach, the little dragon is inhaling every crumb of bread when his companion arrives. Despite the suspected interruption and social faux pas, Zavien can't hide the tender smile creeping forth, less inclined to hide it when Colt dismisses his concerns. But he doesn't brighten, still sensing a heaviness as she speaks, instincts and experience telling him the glaze in her eyes is too much like grief.
He moves closer, cautious and respectful of the emotions as he sits on the other end of the bench to join her in whatever darkness she might be feeling. When she shares her reason for coming, Zavien can tell there's more to it. His face tightens, struggling to understand what he thinks she's implying. [say]"Are you leaving?"[/say] he asks softly, not sure he can trust the conclusion he's come to.
But something about it makes sense if the rumors are to be believed, and Zavien quietly ventures, [say]"Because of your ranch?"[/say] Sorrow pulls at the edges of his face, clearly picturing the rolling hills and baby blue skies of Deadiron Ranch. [say]"It's true?"[/say] The ranch is really gone?
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Serendipity - 03-24-2026
A thin ribbon of smoke coils across the distant hills, drifting low to the ground where the air seems strangely still. At first it could be mistaken for mist or the aftermath of some long-extinguished fire, but the movement is too deliberate, too purposeful. An Enenra haunts the far edge of the land.
The smoke thickens and thins as it moves, curling around stones and dipping into shallow hollows as though searching, or perhaps simply lingering. No flames accompany it, yet the air carries a faint scent of ash, enough to set nerves on edge.
It keeps its distance for now, content to wander the outskirts and observe from afar. Still, the warning feels unmistakable: drawing its attention would be a mistake. Whatever purpose guides the Enenra, it is not something you would want turned in your direction.
EnenraAreas Found: King's End — Rare Cousins of the Banshee, Enenra are creatures of smoke and vapor who possess a shapeless form; when they attack they generate a physical body of any appearance they like.
Challenge Rating: Difficult | Mythical | Admin approval needed HP: 1,365 | To Hit: +88 | Dmg: 141 Movement: Fly 40 ft.; Glide through mist and smoke without slowing SPECIAL SKILLS Misty Emergence: Instantly solidifies from surrounding smoke into a fully formed body upon hostile intent; Form of the Varying: May adopt the appearance and basic abilities of any beast or humanoid |
TRAITS Incorporeal: Drifts through objects and creatures until it chooses to solidify; Smoke Camouflage: Nearly invisible in any vapor or shadow; Shapeshifting Manifestation: Can assume any corporeal form when attacking ACTIONS Smoke Lash: Whip-like tendrils of hardened smoke strike and can wrap around a target; Choking Smog: Exhales a suffocating cloud in a 15-ft. radius that obscures vision and forces targets to cough; Phantom Strike: Delivers a surprise attack from its manifested guise that ignores nonmagical armor |
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RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-24-2026
She supposes if she’s going to sit anywhere dark for long, he’s a good one to sit beside. A reminder that the night ends, and always able to angle things back to dawn. She’s partial to the dark, but sometimes she can get lost in it, especially when she’s taken to avoiding the stars.
A slow, but noticeable nod answers his first question, lips pursing in the subtle line of difficult thought. Things to say, but the way to say them is so fluid it’s hard to find the way to maneuver them. [say]”Yeah,”[/say] she says at last as he gently wonders, and her response is for all the above. [say]”Lost everything to the fire,”[/say] she sighs, spine straightening a bit in response, as if just aware of how she’s begun to sag again and meaning to correct it.
She brushes off the bread crumbs on her pants. [say]”Considered rebuilding…”[/say] she trails off, the evidence of how gunshy she is plain. [say]”Not giving up,”[/say] she clarifies, meeting his gaze with a newfound steadiness. [say]”Just, trying my luck a different way. Going to see if I can’t wrangle Hak Etme into somewhere worth living, actually.”[/say] She simpers at that, fully aware how it sounds every time she says it. It’s only gotten funnier, not easier.
Some wind shifts, and her hair flutters against the corner of her mouth. She tugs it away with a finger and a shrug. [say]”I mean, even now, it’s like I can’t escape it still. I smell it burning all over again.”[/say] Which hollows her out with a grief she didn’t mean to bring here, had thought she’d buried. There’s no denying the acrid tang of something burnt for anything else though, and her upper lip peels back in the faintest crinkle of distaste.
Her gaze swings into the distance, like she expects to see it blazing, not that she ever had. Showed up too late. The smoke though, that’s curling again, and for a moment she stiffens in horror. She hadn’t actually expected to visualize the ruin, but the pairing of the sight and the smell are too blatant. This is their fire season, and despite Tanau’s rampages last season, there’s still more here fit to burn, although she didn’t remember seeing lightning.
[say]”Shit, that might be real,”[/say] she says tightly, an arm clapping onto Zavien’s, fingers tight with worry as they curl against him. She’s still rigid, tall with alert, leaning like she means to pop up at any moment.
She does.
She drags him with her, a new horror shaking her. [say]”Enenra,”[/say] she breathes, recognizing that foul beast now that she’s seeing clearly.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-24-2026
As she confirms the devastating reality, Zavien isn't as quick to hide his sadness. He hangs his head in a moment of silence for the loss, remembering the times he'd had there fondly, including the many times he'd wound up on his face in the dirt. King's End wouldn't be the same without it - without her.
Sighing, he lets the soft green of his gaze land on Colt. [say]"I'm sorry."[/say] He knows the words won't change anything. Her ranch is still gone, the wound of it still fresh in her mind. But when Stormbreak was falling and the world felt uneven under his feet, it helped to know that people cared enough to hold any consideration for his pain. It might only be sympathy, but he wouldn't wish for empathy, for someone else to have felt the same.
Sol offers his own condolences with a small whimper and press of his nose. He nuzzles closer like he can smooth out the uncertainties, squeezing into the empty gaps while Zavien offers what little comfort he can in the form of a gentle smile that lacks judgement or ridicule. [say]"Sometimes it's better to let things go and start fresh."[/say] It's difficult for him to decide which part is harder to grasp, having struggled with both in their own right.
The nod of his head is heavier with her vulnerable admission, understanding weighing on his heart. He could still see Stormbreak in his dreams sometimes. They've never been the crumbling catastrophe of the end, but rather the empty hollowness of the place he'd loved left to fade into oblivion with no one but him to remember what it used to be.
But Zavien can smell the smoke, and unless Colt's developed magic since the last time he's seen her, something else has to be burning, smoldering beneath the damp sheet of mist and humidity. His eyes search for the source, confusion momentarily breaking through the grief.
Willing to offer his arm for her to grasp, he squints suspiciously through the smoke and haze, a chilling realization beginning to settle in his chest. [say]"That's - "[/say] 'Enenra,' she finishes before he can, pulling him to his feet just as he's forming the thought. His free hand finds the hilt of his sword, glancing to make sure Sol is properly aware of the threat.
On full alert now, Zavien's voice is a firm whisper, carefully controlled and brokering little argument. [say]"We should go."[/say] His eyes don't leave the tendrils of smoke and creeping darkness as he starts backing away, skirting the bench to guide them down into the valley of the hill where they could retreat without drawing its attention.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-25-2026
The sorry means well, she knows it, but she never knows what to do with it. He’s not responsible, so what he’s really saying is he’s sorry for her, and she doesn’t want to be anything like that. She just lets it land, not doing much but sitting with it, because at least he’s willing to offer something, even if the gesture means more than what’s in his hand. She glances down when Sol presses in on her, the ghost of a smile fluttering up before dissipating as she runs her touch across the scales. There’s an undeniable comfort to stroking an animal, and it’s a convenient way to dress up soothing herself as doing it for them.
Nodding her agreement at his next words, she doesn’t have much room to add more before they both become alert to the danger. As they stand, he’s saying her thoughts out loud for her, and she doesn’t hesitate in the slightest to move away from the bench, abandoning her flowers and bread to the land. She doesn’t run, although her stride is stiff as she falls in line with Zavien, her breath tight and kept low. [say]”I don’t think it saw us.”[/say] If it had, she’s sure they’d know it, the creatures quite nasty, as it seems he knows.
They eventually throw enough distance between them that her stiffness starts to fade, her grip not so claw-like around his arm. [say]”Sorry,”[/say] she whispers, just now seeming to be aware that she’d clung to him so forcefully. [say]”Well, won’t miss those,”[/say] she admits with the faintest humor, knowing full well there will be other, less familiar horrors to face where she’s going. That reality sobers her, not for the first time, that she’s leaving the devil she knows for the devil she doesn’t, because she’s well aware it’s no heaven she’s aligning herself with.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-25-2026
He nods to confirm his agreement, sure that if the enenra had noticed them, they'd be moving a lot faster right now. But as it is, they're able to creep slowly down the hill and out of sight, the smell of smoke fading enough for him to feel comfortable breathing again. Sol gains some altitude, reporting their safety with a low rumble before coming back down to keep guard at their sides.
Zavien doesn't comment on Colt's apology, offering an understanding tilt of his lips. He probably would have grabbed her wrist if she hadn't acted first, just so they could keep awareness of each other in case the creature decided to pursue them. He doesn't think much on it as she switches seamlessly to humor, joining her with a mirthless huff of laughter. [say]"And I guess I better get used to them."[/say] The thought obviously doesn't excite him.
Letting his hand finally fall from his sword hilt, Zavien raises an eyebrow at Colt. [say]"So... Hak Etme, huh?"[/say]
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-25-2026
Her brows lift in an agreeing point at him needing to adjust, although she offers a shrug shortly thereafter. [say]”These at least you don’t see too often.”[/say] Then quieter, she adds, [say]”and Sunjata works to keep them at bay.”[/say] They should probably report this one to a soldier or the Archon himself.
Smoothing away the last ripples of worry as she slides her palms down her pants, she ends with tucking the heels of her hands against her hips. [say]”Yeah, Hak Etme.”[/say] Her arms flap a little at the elbows as she says it, lips tilting back and forth across her face as she chews on the thought a little longer. [say]”I was wonderin’, actually, if you might not be able to help me?”[/say]
A difficult process, asking so outright, but it’s gotten easier with each attempt. She’s also well aware she can’t do this alone, so no sense in trying. Still, her teeth pull at her lower lip and her hands hook into her pockets as they slowly stroll. [say]”I know you just got here, and you’ve been through a lot, so you can tell me to fuck off.”[/say] She glances sidelong at him, offering a faint smile as proof there’d be no hard feelings about it. [say]”But, for all those same reasons, thought maybe you’d find some purpose making something out of nothing. At least, that’s what I’m expecting will happen for myself, and having nothing much left, it’s been easier to make the decision to do something a little hard like this.”[/say]
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-25-2026
Looking in the direction of where the enenra had been, Zavien lets out a quiet hum. [say]"Hm. I'll have to let him know about this one."[/say] He hadn't spoken much to Sunjata in general, so it would be nice to catch up. [say]"Maybe he can give me tips on how to deal with it."[/say] Or give him something to do with all his new free time.
Although Colt seems to have a solution for that as the topic shifts back to Hak Etme and her departure. The initial request is vague, his head tilting as he wonders at exactly what kind of help the woman is asking for, and although she never specifies, Zavien feels her emotions like an echo in his chest, her words hitting cleanly on his recent struggles with meaning and purpose.
It doesn't take more than that for him to offer a clean, genuine smile. [say]"Of course I'll help."[/say] As if to reassure her that he's not joking or saying things just to appease her, he shrugs his shoulders, his smile pulling softly with the movement. [say]"The Breakers have mostly settled, leaving me with little to do around town. It'd be nice to be useful again."[/say] If it sounds pathetic to her, Zavien doesn't really care. He's just speaking the truth.
Still, one question continues to brush against his thoughts, and he tilts his head to look closely at her. [say]"But, if you don't mind me asking, why Hak Etme?"[/say]
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-25-2026
She visibly eases the moment he agrees, like the whole time she’d been waiting for another rough edge or a hard plane to bump into. Of everyone, even Soh, he’d probably been the most likely one to be agreeable, a bit more certain she understands his position after their dinner. Yet, the assumption of any ease, made the risk of denial that much sharper. If he said no, then surely other chances with other people would be slimmer.
Instead, there’s a loose breath, relief and gratitude walking hand in hand. [say]”Thank you,”[/say] she says swiftly, eyes brightening with the smile she extends. [say]”I know you’re very capable, so I hoped you could help defend us and build with us. We’ll start with tents, but start making something longer-term. Place like Hak Etme though, all manner of animal, even plant, will be testing if we’re easy food, and I mean not to fail that test.”[/say] Both counts, builder and defender, is why she had considered him, among other things.
As for the why, her smile turns a bit amused, like that’s always been the easy part for her, even if everyone else struggles. [say]”You ever see something so wild, you can’t help but get caught up watching it exist?”[/say] Their world has many things that fall into this category in her mind. [say]”It’s like, it reminds you just how spectacular life can be, when you stop and let it. Dangerous, always is, but beautiful, and all the more worth it.”[/say] Maybe it’s just a feeling she’s chasing, testing risks just to see if she can come out the other end, and hasn’t that always been the case for her job, just now she might get bucked off a sand dune.
[say]”I’ve been there before. It’s harsh, but I think it’s got the potential to offer good trade and ranching, just needs a bit of taming first.”[/say] Her smile spreads, deepening, a touch smug. [say]”That’s the part that’s exciting.”[/say]
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Zavien - 03-25-2026
The compliment certainly helps with his desire to feel useful, and the clarification gives him a pretty good idea on what to expect. He's been to the desert a few times, played fetch with a boney dinosaur or two, so he knows a bit of what dangers lurk in the sands, but he appreciates the warning nonetheless, his head dipping as he offers a bit of warm laughter. [say]"Fair enough. I'll do what I can."[/say]
When she begins describing the why of it all, his thoughts immediately turn to dragons and how he's always found them so dangerously incredible, wanting to be close to them despite every risk they pose to him. But when he looks to Sol - the dragon who never leaves his side - he's met with the sight of his companion's nose shoved in a bundle of flowers. He smiles, the irony and humor of it all clear as he looks back at Colt. [say]"Kind of."[/say]
Zavien chuckles as she finishes. He's never needed proof that she's a little wild, but this would have been confirmation enough, her smile a little too ambitious for her own good. It's infectious, if not a bit terrifying, but he doesn't shy away, shrugging his shoulders like taming a region is just another Tuesday morning. [say]"Well, helping hands can do a lot, and a little help from the gods never hurts."[/say] All in all, if she's looking for a little faith (or a co-channel), she can turn to him.
RE: Prove that I'm more than my grief - Colt - 03-28-2026
A nod follows suit, because she can’t really expect any amore than that. What I can is more than enough, when it’s honest. He doesn’t strike her as the lying type. [say]”I also could use your input,”[/say] she drags out, slower, more careful about the weight of this. She’d already offered it to Sohalia too, and that’d been easier, but it’s easier for her to believe in a woman. Her gaze turns steady on him, watching. [say]”With running the place once we make it. A cabinet seat, to help shape it into something right.”[/say]
All his talk with her about feeling lost now that he doesn’t lead, she figures this could be exactly what he needs as much as she does, if for entirely different reasons. Not that this is about offering him a favor, but rather she thinks they could scratch each other’s backs in the process. He has expertise she’s aware she’s lacking. She’s led a ranch, and as wild as the desert is, the people that she hopes might settle there, they’re gonna talk back a lot worse than the cows.
[say]”I don’t need your answer now, if you want to sit with it a while,”[/say] something she adds on now after her experience with Sohalia, aware that where she might be ready, everyone else still needs the time to think through everything she already has. [say]”But It’s yours, if you’re interested. I know we’d be better for it.”[/say] We, already speaking as if the desert is hers. Less ambition than it is raw need for it to be true, else she truly has nothing left.