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 Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:32 pm
((An Origin Story for Ballad, briefly touching on some of his family and perhaps featuring them later... This pre-dates his arrival within the land, and will feature prominent "dream sequences".))
This way to Lat's Teepee
((Private/Self RP, closed to outside posts.
Please note the Angeni/Angel character is an OC and is not named or described in any great detail, on purpose. He could very well be part of Ballad's "dream" and not "real" at all...
Whistle makes appearances in this RP and therefore her image has been added below. Both are Maxed.))
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:36 pm
Warrior-born as he was, Ballad’s sire had long ago warned about the importance of presenting a united front to all outsiders, be they potential allies or enemies. He valued a strong appearance, as it enabled them to forge strong alliances and further secure herd-lands. As such, for all of the disagreements that may occur within the privacy of their home, the Faythren Clan was nothing if not united before enemies or strangers. The patriarch demanded nothing less; and whether he also had all of their love or not, he certainly demanded loyalty or obedience. And out of fear, obedience or loyalty his children were dutiful to those demands.
Ballad had little trouble adhering to such rules, able to maintain civility with even his most estranged siblings. He fought to defend the ideals or territory of the herd, to protect against outsiders and danger, to ensure his family’s safety and well-being. He made overtures on behalf of the Clan, establishing alliances and strengthening the herd. He soothed tempers and catered to egos, maintained civility even in the most unlikely of gatherings.
However, after a time the infighting in privacy and required solidarity in public became too taxing for the eldest son to maintain. Ballad could no longer stand fighting the enemies outside as well as those within. Sibling rivalry escalated to a private war, and he would not choose a side when he agreed with neither. As such, he elected to wander on his own for a time, away from the politics of family and herd. It was that, or leave them for good, and somehow he couldn’t make himself do that yet.
***
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:39 pm
Ballad had long ago lost track of how long he had been wandering alone since parting ways with his family. He was even less sure of how long he had spent in the company of his siblings prior to his departure, barely recalling the time spent roaming the lands as they willed. At this point, even the last time he had slept was nothing more than a distant memory, haunted by the shadow of a nightmare that was not wholly living or imaginary, and therefore twice as unsettling.
However long it had been since his last rest, it was apparently too long for the tastes of some, for he was willing to bet that it was they who had arranged for this latest occurrence. Surely his parents had prayed –or simply spoken- to the Dream Lords on his behalf, to summon him so quickly.
Regardless of if it was by his parents’ intervention or some curious quirk of the Angel’s own heart (of which there were many, considering the source) Rath had appeared suddenly under the guise of ‘visiting’ the roaming Fayth… And after a pleasant enough conversation with this somewhat unexpected companion, Ballad found himself growing inexplicably tired... Until he could no longer keep his eyes open, and was forced to lie down and rest.
***
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 1:58 pm
It was no surprise at all to ‘awaken’ in the Dream Realm in the presence of one of the DreamWeavers… Though Ballad still pinned an ear and looked upon him will ill favor. He strongly disliked the other stallion in that moment, and didn’t much care if he knew it.
“I hope you are quite pleased with yourself.” He snapped, laying his other ear flat and stamping an emphatic hoof.
“I?” The Angel echoed, looking somewhat bemused at the charges but otherwise unaffected. “And to think, I was about to say very nearly the same thing to you, myself.”
Both Ballad’s ears pitched forward, his expression abruptly confused. “And why would you say such a thing to me? What have I done to be pleased about? I certainly did not summon you here.”
“No, you Fayth are more subtle than that.” The Angel scoffed, shaking his head. “No, no, try again then.”
"Subtle." Ballad huffed, considering the other's words for a moment. They almost sounded like a charge, which spoke perhaps of the Angel's familiarity with his sire... But had no bearing on Ballad himself. He had left the herd due to family feuds but did not think for a moment he had done anything to catch the attention of an Angel or DreamWeaver.
Shaking his head again, the mist-blue stallion sighed. “For truth, I do not know why you sought me out.. Nor do I understand how or why I have come to be here.”
The DreamWeaver considered him a moment, expressions flickering through his dark eyes faster than Ballad could read or even name. After a few moments the Angel seemed to shrug, his wings flaring briefly with the movement. Whatever he had decided, he was keeping his own council at the moment.
“It matters not, at the moment. So then back to our previous discussion, on the matter of your arrival here? No, I daresay it was not your intent at all. Surely you were convinced you would be perfectly happy to never sleep –no dream- again.”
The Other snorted derisively, shifting on his hooves and giving an unimpressed look. “A well thought-out plan, I’m sure. But clever as you may have been, everything sleeps at some point… Even songs.”
“Songs end.” Ballad argued, still stung by the mocking reply. “Do Angels?”
“Not so far as I have seen, but Angels rest.” He said and turned away as the landscape around them began to change. “And so, I’m afraid, must you. Perhaps this time you will find what you are looking for.”
Ballad watched the stallion fade away into the DreamLands, worry making him flatten his ears. He couldn't help but worry, as the statement sounded like a certain kind of curse. May you live in interesting times.
***
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:00 pm
Whether by luck or the Angel’s own design, Ballad did not encounter his strange nightmare as he wandered through the Dreamlands. As he happened to realized this, the Fayth relaxed, and let his clipped walk through the landscapes slow to a gentle stroll.
And at some point later the Fayth stallion realized he was not so much wandering as being slowly drawn to something, though what that was he could not yet say. Still, he was willing to bet this too was the work of the other and followed the feeling without complaint.
As near as he could figure, the sooner he did as he was told (or as the angel wanted), the sooner he would be free to wander the world again. Since the other didn’t seem particularly instructive at the moment, he would just follow the subtle clues he was being given and hope he could get through this whole charade quickly.
“This all seems rather pointless.” The stallion mused to himself with an ill-tempered huff.
Which was of course when he ran nose-first into the most beautiful female he’d ever seen, bumping into her with his larger frame and sending her to skittering as she tried to keep her feet. “Ooof!”
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:25 pm
“My sincere apologies!” He rumbled as he staggered back and shook himself, wincing as she wavered on her dainty hooves. “I confess I didn’t even notice you there.”
She had appeared out of the darkening landscape like a sudden mist, a flash of indigo against night-dark sky and slowly-creeping fog.
“I apologize as well.” She offered in a gentle voice that was soft and just short of musical, even in speech. “I confess there are so rarely visitors to this place that I had rather taken it for granted I would be alone. As such, I was not quite so cautious of where I was going as I should have been. Please do forgive me.”
“Where I am from, it is a gentleman’s fault when he nearly runs over a lovely lady.” Ballad argued with a soft grin and a shy duck of his head. “Please forgive me for intruding, My Lady.. My temper got the best of me.”
“All is forgiven.” She laughed faintly, shaking her head. “I admit, you are the first I have found in this place to display any temper at all… And are a great deal more lively than those I usually encounter.”
“My being here is something of a lesson, as well as a joke, I think.” Ballad admitted, glancing around as he wondered if the angel was watching and listening even now. “Though I confess with his sense of humor, I am liable to never understand the punchline.”
She tilted her head, glowing cyan eyes confused. “I don’t understand… Is someone playing a trick on you keeping you here?”
“I am fairly certain once I have learned my lesson, I will be free.” Ballad shrugged, considering her lovely eyes in silence for a moment before he gave a soft laugh. “Though if they are all as lovely as you, I may not wish to go.”
She shyly ducked her head, hiding behind a long mane that was night-black but striped with bands of silver. “You flatter me.”
“I speak the truth as I see it.” He challenged gently. “I did not mean to embarrass you, Lovely Lady… Please, let me apologize.”
“No harm done.” She shook her head, smiling slightly at him. “I thank you for the compliment.”
“Grant me a favor instead.” He pressed, drifting a step closer. “Please?”
She tilted her head, considering, and then nodded. “Very well, depending on the favor.”
“A small one.” He reassured. “Your name, just tell me your name.”
“Why would a visitor want to know such a thing?” She laughed, shocked and flattered.
“Because it seems strangely important to me… And perhaps, if I wish to visit again, I will be better able to find you.”
"And you would like that?”
“Very much.” Ballad nodded. “Please, Lovely Lady?”
“Very well then, but only if you tell me yours.”
“It is a deal, done and done.” He agreed quickly. “I am Ballad.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Ballad. Most call me Whistle.”
“Whistle? A pleasure then to meet you, Whistle.”
She laughed again, the sound like silver bells. “And lovely to meet you too, Ballad.”
***
She stares up into glinting silver eyes, and manages a softly despairing sound as the Realm drifts away. She’s not sure she’ll ever see him again, but for a moment it almost feels like she’s found a home.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:27 pm
Time passes differently in the Dream Realm, though at times it seems unending. With the land constantly soft-night but seeming on the verge of dusk around the edges, it is difficult to say how many sunrises and sunsets may pass in the real world while wandering through Dreams. There are groves of eternal midnight or unending daylight, to house the strange creatures that require sunlight of the absence of it to survive. Wandering through such places is both confusing and fascinating, though not without its risks.
Ballad edged through such places now and again, in an effort to distract himself when his new companion could not be found. He did not understand where it was she went when she left him… But after some time together she began to look sad until she confessed it was time for her to leave. He never tried to follow her, for DreamKeepers were a prickly lot if crossed and he had no desire to get her into trouble.
No matter how far he roamed through the Lands, sooner or later she always reappeared in front of him, wandering through a grove of light or waiting patiently well-beyond the borders of the dark-lands. She seemed to shy away from the darker places, smiling a greeting at him before skirting away on light hooves. He noted he was careful not to run, as she knew it would draw the attention of the creatures living in the dark, but she moved with silent, decisive strides away.
“You don’t care for the Shadowlands.” He observed when they were well away from the nearest pocket of darkness, and the relaxed fluidity had returned to the mare’s strides.
“No, I do not.” She agreed, and though his statement invited her to give an explanation she didn’t seem further inclined to elaborate.
“Might I inquire why?” He asked tentatively.
“You have been in the Shadowlands, have you not?” She questioned with a frown, glancing back over her shoulder at him. “Do you not know, by now? Or can you not guess?”
“I have spent enough time in the dark.” He agreed after a moment’s consideration. And as he considered it, he remembered the low snarl and the feeling of a predator watching from the shadows. “Something dangerous lives there.”
She laughed, tossing her head. “We are all dangerous, in one way or another, in the Dream Realm.”
***
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:29 pm
The departure of the angel, and his mysterious companion, left Ballad once again alone in the forever-twilight of the DreamRealm. It was nice to move as fast or slow as he wished, for as long as he wished, and to never encounter the “dawn” of day or the “end” of this place. There was a peculiar magic to the Realm, for though he knew there to be storm-swept seas and uncrossable canyons, they never appeared in his path. Then again, aside from the dark-coated mare, he did not seem to be able to encounter any other dreamers either.
He rather guessed the Angel or DreamKeeper to be behind that too, though the other seemed disinclined to appear for him to ask.
***
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 8:41 pm
He wanders in silence and solitude for a long time. He rests when he is tired –which is rare- and visits each grove of sunlight he finds. But she’s no longer waiting in the light to greet him, and slowly he becomes more and more discouraged.
***
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:23 pm
Ballad has lost track of all the time he has spent hunting her. In one land they are great cats, powerful and fast and swift… And the only thing he cares about is that when he seeks her, she is waiting for him joyously. They are reunited and able to start a family, to live happily.
There are other memories –or are they only dreams? Created by a confused and troubled mind?-, faint and fractured, fading as he gets deeper into this land. Memories of being a smaller cat-like creature, of wings on his back and a fish always out of his grasp no matter how he swims for it. When he finally surfaces she is on the riverbank, laughing aloud, her cyan wings flared wide as she basks in the sunlight.
In another memory still he is all alone, a small forest creature sorrowing in its den because its mate cannot be found. He aches for something he has never met in this place, but knows she should be there all the same.
Then they are fleet-footed wolves, still powerful predators but with wide-spread wings. They den in caves in a cliff and chase each other beneath sun or stars. He doesn’t care what shape they wear, so long as they are together in whichever world he finds himself in. More often than not, his wish his granted…
He wishes it were more than just a dream.
'Where are you, Dearest One, Only One? Don't you know I am waiting for you?'
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:25 pm
***
Whistle decides she does not care what the flashes are, fact or fantasy, they haunt her just as much as her real memory fragments do. In one land she gallops about on silent paws, her cry trumpeting and musical as she strives to find her mate. No matter how she searches, he never answers. ‘Where are you, dearest one?’
*
In others she is shy and moved like mist, her wings helping her flutter and her paws cat-quiet as she steps. There is no reassuring flash of blue at the edge of her vision to calm her heart. Her ears flick, searching for the sound of his steps, but there is nothing.
*
Elsewhere she dreams of lying on a bank in the sun, a powerful feline that is both graceful and lovely. Her heart is alight with joy as she basks there, watching her mate as he pounces about in the shallows for his amusement and her own.
*
She clings to the memories of them raising a family together, though they go white and misty around the edges as she draws toward waking each day. This only serves to make her more determined to find her mate, her song, because this time ‘Happy Ever After’ will last.
*
“Wherever you go, just whistle… And I’ll come running.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:40 pm
***
Ballad starts awake in the real world, just as dawn is breaking. His coat and the emerald grass he sleeps upon is dappled with dew, the droplets catching and holding the light of his markings in a peculiar , glittering rain. With a snort the stallion surges to his hooves, shaking himself from nose to tail.
The droplets scatter in all directions, their light lost as they scattered. He is not surprised at all to find himself alone, for he had wandered by himself through the dreams for time beyond counting. But he is certain Whistle is out there, somewhere, and he will find her.
Wherever you are, Whistle, I will find you.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:43 pm
((At the moment this story is considered to be complete. You are welcome to view the story which follows it, through the link below:
Backstory: Losing & Finding My Fayth ))
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