[PRP] Politeness or Coldness? (Raphael and Esmi)

[Cajmera]

 

[Cajmera]

Raphael hissed sharply as he pulled off the 'bandage' of leaves at his neck. As was often the case, dried blood had stuck to the bandage, and in the act of removing the bandage he had also removed some skin, hair, and scab tissue, causing a fresh oozing of blood to start. The sharp pain of removal over, he lightly touched the would with a new sigh. Obviously he was going to have to start all over again with the healing; this was why he hated wounds he couldn't reach with his horn.

It had been his own fault, he had to admit. He should have known better than to try to fly in such high winds, but he had been determined to try to outrun an oncoming thunder storm. It had been a particularly nasty looking storm front, the kind that brought lightning as well as heavy rain and hail, and he'd had no desire to get caught in it. But in his disregard for the wing, he'd ended up getting blown roughly into the branches of a tree and slashed himself up good. He'd been able to deal with most of the wounds directly, but he was unable to reach his neck with his horn.

So he'd dredged his mind for everything he knew about 'natural' remedies, with minimal success. But the poultice had stopped the aching, and the wound seemed to be clean. Until he'd ripped the whole thing off.

At this rate, he'd be hanging out in this forest clearing indefinitely, possibly coming down with a nasty infection and literally losing his head. Bother, bother, bother!

Ririka

 

[Ririka]

The mare knew better than to go wandering into lands where she knew nothing about the lands and no one who lived there. However, Esmi did not have much of a choice considering her situation. No longer was she welcome to the land she once called home thanks to those she once called family. She was deemed “unfit” by her herd due to her diluted Kalona blood. Funny, maybe acceptance would have been an option had her mixed blood caused her to be unstable. Or maybe being chased off was a blessing in disguise. Too bad the mare could not find the hidden blessing, yet.

Cautiously, Esmi stood a few feet away from the moving silhouette. Common sense had told her to just keep moving, but curiosity got the best of her and she had chosen to leave her path to investigate. The figure did not seem like a threat from what she could tell, but then again appearances were capable to hiding anything and everything.

Oh, if Elijah were here he would probably berate me for listening to my curiosity.

With each step the mare moved closer to the figure, until her green eyes got a vision full of blue and gold, and…was that red? Well, at least now she knew what all the movement was about.

I suppose not everyone gets lessons on how they shouldn’t pick their wounds…

Esmi kept silent. Her presence could be seen as annoyance enough, so best not to add words to the mix.
 

[Cajmera]

It was a testament to just how sheltered Raphael's upbringing had been that even now after all his wandering, he still hadn't learned the importance of paying attention to his surroundings. He'd been fortunate in escaping the notice of any truly unsavory types, and every so often he reflected that he ought to work on honing his survival skills, but the fact remained that stealth and observation were not his strong suits. This was particularly the case when he had something else to distract him, like now.

Gingerly, he touched the tip of his wing to the wound. Might as well see how much fresh blood he'd spilled..

Drawing back the wing, he examined the bloody feathers with a disgusted snort. "It had to be the neck," he murmured to himself. "Anywhere else, I could have taken care of this the proper way." The proper way being, of course, with the touch of a horn! Perhaps it was a sign of how easy it could be to be an alicorn, but Raphael was not used to having to feel pain or deal with the related mess!

Well, if he'd been spoiled before, at least he was making up for it now. In fact, on that note, he'd better find more of those healing leaves. Now, where had he found them, again?

Frowning slightly in thought, he turned to look about where he thought he'd found the leaves, only to find himself staring in surprise at an unknown mare. How long had she been there? "Oh, excuse me."

Ririka

 

[Ririka]

The stranger did not seem mad about her intrusion, and if he was then he did well not to show it, which she appreciated at the moment. Esmi was someone who did not do well handling the anger of others, and always did her best to make sure she did not cause annoyance and angers for others. She must always follow the command of others, yes, that is what the mare was always told. Silence over speech. Follow, don’t lead or question. As long as Esmi followed those rules then she would have nothing to worry about.

The mare made no movement beyond the occasional movement of her wings. Her face held a look of indifference, though every now and again a small spark of concern would flicker every now and again.

“Your wound is like a calling card for those who would give no second thought about taking your down like a nearly birthed fawn,” Esmi stated as he gaze moved from the wound to the ground. She did what she could to avoid eye contact with the stranger. “Or maybe even a bird shot down by the weapons of a two-legger. And yet you do well when it comes to showing no fear about the prospect of your head rolling right off your shoulders.”

It wasn’t the best introduction in the world, but Esmi has worst in the past. She was one who lacked experience with being social since she always had someone to speak for her and lead her. Having the freedom to speak for herself was still too new and foreign. At least she was getting a little better, a little. Just a pinch. A micro sized pinch.

She supposed this would be the point where she either chose to leave the stallion to his potentially headless fate, or offered to help him. But was it proper for one to offer to aid someone, or should she wait to be asked for aid?

“…Do you, hm, require some form of aid, sir, or it is your hope to be infected and run around like a headless zombie? If so, then I shall not step in the way of your dreams and wishes.”

Yes, a micro sized pinch it is.

Cajmera

 

[Cajmera]

Raphael had initially registered the mare was...well, a mare, and he had responded accordingly: with polite deflection. After all, it was rude for any stallion to force himself into the company of any mare, and this mare was a stranger! No, it was best when meeting someone for the first time to feel out their sentiments on the interaction, and allow them the opportunity to end the encounter without it ever truly beginning. That was what he had been taught, anyway.

But the mare had surprised him, the stark, grim nature of her words and the cold, indifferent expression on her face literally making him step away from her. It was then that he noticed her wings for the first time, and felt a sudden stab of fear. Those were Kalona wings...but wasn't that a unicorn horn? Did Kalona come with unicorn horns of their own now? And whether or not she was a Kalona, what was he to do in this sort of situation??

This was an agonizing moment for Raphael as he realized just how careless he'd been. Honestly, he hadn't even noticed her approach. If she wanted to, she probably could have decapitated him without his even noticing...but she hadn't.

It was then he heard her offer of aid, and paused. If she was offering to help, surely she couldn't be an evil Soquili, regardless of her prior comments about rolling heads. Besides, didn't he, as a gentleman, owe her the benefit of the doubt?

It was a relief to put his agonizing behind him, as naive as it might have been. But Raphael had decided; if she was going to attack him, she already would have. So he collected himself with a smile, giving her a slight bow. "As a matter of fact, I would prefer to retain both my head and my living status. If you are willing, I would greatly appreciate your help, since I can't reach it myself." He paused, then added with a sheepish chuckle, "And I really ought to have introduced myself before asking your aid, but my name is Raphael. Thank you for your courtesy."

Ririka