[PRP] Short and Sassy (Liani and Madiera)

[Cajmera]

 

[Cajmera]

Madiera
~~~

"Tiptoe, through the tulips, and the daisies, and the daffodils!" Madiera was in a fine mood, and that fine mood was on full display today. It was just perfect to see the world coming back to life, she reflected; after seeing ash for so long, with nothing but broken twigs and dead shrubs to break up the monotony, if was nice to see the grass once more turning green, and flowers once more making an appearance. Winter had been light this year, with the snow barely accumulating before melting, so even winter had been no break from the ashen wasteland. If anything, she mulled, the winter had made it worse; an ashen slurry, that stuck to the coat and got into everything. If she'd ever been tempted to move on, this past year was the test.

It wasn't that she'd had it very hard, Maddie knew. She had been fortunate in that she had been on the move when the wildfires had blazed out of control. As the region she'd spent her life calling home had gone up in flames, she had been far away, in the northern forest region, paying an extended visit to some relations. She had never been luckier in her sense of timing.

It had been a shock to come home, though. It had been almost unbelievable, seeing the vast meadow lands transformed into a desolate wasteland. She hadn't been a herd member herself, but she knew many of the area Soquili and had been stunned to see and hear the devastation. A cursory detour to her little strand of trees had shown her there was nothing here for her anymore, so she had turned her attentions and her energies to helping out as she could with the mass relocation of the Kawani village. It had been a long, dull slog, but it gave her a sense of purpose and prevented her from having to think too hard about the next step.

She had spent the winter helping out the village, rekindling a few old relationships and developing many new ones. She had never thought of herself as an altruist, but it had proved a rewarding sensation, helping other Soquili (and those peculiar Kawani; she'd never really understood what the draw was to those two legged creatures, but live and let live). And it meant that she had a place to be during the winter, light as it was.

But that was all over now, and spring was once again back in the Kawani land. For all the annoyances of the wet, slimy winter, the moisture was badly needed and the results were already starting to show. The grass was coming up green, the flowers were alive with color...it was almost as if the past year's events had never happened!

Except for that one minor detail: she currently had no place to call home.  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Liani watched the frolicking mare with amusement, one dark brow arched up over one dark eye. It was rather comical at the same time it was endearing, a grown mare scampering about with about as much care as if she were a newly born foal. Liani wasn't overly given to curiosity; everyone deserved their own secrets, as far as she was concerned. Still, once in a while she saw something that attracted her attention, something that made her want to put forth an actual effort. Perhaps it was her subconscious telling her she needed to get out and socialize more than she did.

The thought of her subconscious manipulating her made Liani break out into a wide smile, followed by a low, husky chuckle. As if her subconscious, or anyone else, was capable of making her do, or making her want to do, anything her brain didn't agree with. She might be small in body, but she had always countered that smallness with a powerful personality and an iron will. She could hold her own with just about anyone in conversation, and there were few things should would shy away from, including direct confrontation.

However, that was all contingent on one thing: her own whims and desires.

Liani had always believed in being spontaneous. She was no libertine and she was no gad about, but she liked the opportunity to meet people as she saw fit, to do what she wanted, when she wanted. She had never felt compelled to follow a conventional lifestyle; neither a lifemate or children really appealed to her. She liked her freedom, and she didn't want to lose it anytime soon.

It was that freedom that had made dealing with the fire so easy for her. Although her preferred 'home' territory had escaped the worst of the fire damage, she had felt no desire to stick around and deal with the aftermath. She was too small to do much heavy lifting, she found crowds aggravating, and she knew that she was exactly the wrong Soquili to be around anyone suffering any form of bereavement. She was simply too direct, too...well, too uncaring. Or something like that. She did care a bit, it just wasn't her nature to get worked up about bad things happening to strangers. Bad things happened all the time, to everyone, so if you let every tragedy get to you, you would be in a constant state of emotional turmoil.

And turmoil had never been her thing.

She had moved on shortly after the fire, making her way south and around by way of the coast. Liani wasn't really one for sand, but it sure beat ash; besides that, it was different. She had met some new and interesting Soquili, had her first encounter with a sea turtle, and spent the winter in relative comfort. There was no snow by the ocean, she'd discovered, and she was ok with that. But eventually, she'd gotten bored with the ocean, and felt one of those rare, random burst of curiosity. How had the recovery of the plains region gone, or was it still ongoing? Had the region been abandoned? Was there new growth, had the herds moved on?

So she had wandered back north, ready to indulge her curiosity. And now her curiosity was being piqued in a new way, by an oddly energetic mare dancing along through a meadow of flowers.

Yes, she had to find out who this mare was. Flicking up her tail like a flag, she called out to the mare, "Hey!"  

[Cajmera]

Madiera (Maddie)
~~~~

Madiera had been capering along with wild abandon, not really caring who was watching. She was (relatively) young, it was spring, the world was once again a green and positive place, she was happy, what did she care who saw her express that happiness? But the sudden 'hey' broke in on her energetic dancing, and she skittered to a none-too-graceful stop, looking around for the speaker.

She didn't have to look too hard; the tiny mare's red coat stood out like a beacon against the green hillside. At first, Maddie thought she was a filly, she was so incredibly short, but as the little red mare sauntered closer, Maddie could see that she was filled out and solid, not at all gangly or awkward like a filly. Maddie had never before met an Usdia, so she didn't know that Liani was 'average' for her breed; instead, she thought she had encountered a rare dwarf Soquili, and she was fascinated.

"Hey, yourself! Lovely morning to be out and about, wouldn't you say?"  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Well, this was encouraging. Liani was so out of the 'normal' loop that she hadn't really known what to expect, tossing out a random greeting like that. Some Soquili these days were awfully snobby, and others were so paranoid that they'd run a mile if a stranger so much as looked at them sideways. She hadn't expected this mare to be one of that type, given her ebullience, but one could never be sure about these things. Still, she was pleased to have been correct in her guesstimate, and her smile widened as she strolled up to the younger mare.

"It certainly is, Sweetheart. Though I can't speak for you, I would have been out regardless so I appreciate the nice weather. Not because I have anything in particular to do, but more because I have no where in particular to otherwise be," she drawled in her husky voice. She didn't really know what to make of the mare, or what the mare would make of her; she was already acutely aware the mare had looked at her with the sort of surprised fascination Liani would herself bestow on...a leprechaun.

And Liani had never been one to beat around the bush. "Have I grown another head, that you're staring at me with such wide-eyed speculation Sweetheart?"  

[Cajmera]

Madiera
~~~

Maddie was doubly intrigued now, not just by the peculiarity of the little mare's...littleness, but also by her strange way of speaking. It was a weird sensation, being called 'sweetheart' by a mare; though the way the little mare was talking, Maddie felt as though she herself was just a filly, being patted on the head by a grown adult. It was amusing, being made to feel like a child by a Soquili half her height! Indeed, she couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"No, you've only got the normal two heads," She teased, eyes dancing. "It was more the fact that your two heads are perched on a mere two feet of height that made me stare; I've never seen a mare so...well, so petite before! Honestly, you make me feel like someone took me by the head and the heels and pulled, to make me so very long in comparison to you!" She giggled again, imagining herself as a rubber horse and the little mare as the 'normal' sized Soquili. Too funny!  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Once again, Liani found herself raising a brow at the mare, this time with a hint of incredulity. The mare was giddy and good-natured, but it was obvious she had no idea what was and wasn't proper behavior around others. Liani rather suspected that the mare had never seen an Usdia before; that could be the only explanation for her surprise at Liani's height. However, it was fortunate for the pink mare that Liani was so tolerant and thick skinned; if she WAS a midget Soquili, the last thing she would want is for a stranger to be harping on their size difference. Bad form, mare.

Still, it was hard for Liani to hold a grudge on principal, especially against a mare so obviously cheerful. In spite of her surprise at the mare's behavior, Liani allowed herself to chuckle as well. Two could play at that game.

"Well, Sweetheart," she drawled, "If I ran into an Usdia as long and leggy as you, I'd have to agree there was something funny about it. But since you're as obviously a Soquili as I am an Usdia, I'd say we're depressingly average, wouldn't you agree? Two heads and all," she added with a chuckle.  

[Cajmera]

Madiera
~~~

Ok, now Madiera was confused. It was apparent there had been something she'd said which had given the little mare pause, but her explanation hadn't done much to clarify things for Maddie. Of course it was obvious she herself was a Soquili, but weren't they both Soquili? She'd never heard the term 'Usdia' before, but in this context the mare made it sound like an Usdia was something completely different from a Soquili! But that couldn't be the case when they were so very similar...

Cocking her head to one side, she studied the little mare with obvious curiosity. She'd never been one to hold back when she wanted something, so why start now when it came to information? "Well, now you've got me confused! I know I'm a Soquili, but I guess I thought you were a Soquili, too. What makes you an Usdia instead, if you don't mind my asking? And I guess even if you do mind, now that I've asked the question," she added with another giggle.  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Well, that was unexpected, but also cleared up the mystery of how the pink mare could make such an outrageous faux pas. Could she really have lived as long as she obviously had without ever crossing paths with an Usdia, or even knowing what they were? Talk about a sheltered upbringing! Not that Usdia were something wild and crazy, especially not in this world of mers, skinwalkers, and 'Suti, but it was still rather amusing.

"Well, don't you think it's obvious, Sweetheart? I'm an Usdia, so why don't you take a good look at me, and a good look at you, and compare and contrast? Then take that list of differences, and you have a good start to the definition of an Usdia. I'll even start it for you," she chuckled. "Are we the same size? No, of course we aren't. Ergo, I would start the list of differences with the fact that I am much shorter than you. Your turn," Liani said with a mischievous grin.  

[Cajmera]

Madiera
~~~

Aha, so this was being made into a game! Maddie liked games, and she'd always been good at games, so she was totally on board with this manner of 'getting to know her,' as it was. Obviously she'd have to make sure not to get too nosy or to cross any bounds of propriety, but these differences could be that personal in nature if the red mare had proposed Maddie find them, right?

The size one was the easy one, obviously, and she had to laugh when Liani referred to that difference as a 'starter.' No kidding, Maddie was taller! But there had to be more differences than that, and Maddie would flush them out with her detective's eye. She didn't know what was so funny, what it was that had made the little mare laugh when she offered the challenge, but Maddie would have her laughing out the other side of her mouth soon!

All in fun, of course.

"Hrm..." Pursing her lips, Maddie examined the little red mare critically. Soquili could come in all sorts of colors too; in fact, Maddie's own grandfather was eerily similar to the little mare in coloration, so that wasn't it. Her mane and tail were nothing special, her coat appeared to be the same gloss, she had single-toed, solid hooves...

"Can I see your teeth?"  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

"Really?" Liani's question was skeptical, but her tone was amused. She had originally proposed the 'find the differences' game as a lark, knowing full well that the only true differences between Usdia and Soquili were related to size. However, this mare had taken the idea and ran with it, as evidenced by the thorough scrutiny Liani was now subject to, to say nothing of the outrageously personal request to see her teeth. Another mare might balk; after all, looking at one's teeth was the best way to determine how old you really were. However, Liani had never been bothered by things like numbers; she was what she was, never mind for how long!

So her 'really' had been followed up with a chuckle, and she obligingly opened her mouth for the younger mare to examine. "Take a good look, sweetheart; they're all original equipment!" So saying, she took another step closer to Madiera, to allow the other mare a better opportunity to see them. "You can study them, count them, whatever; all I ask is that you don't touch them."  

[Cajmera]

Madeira
~~~

Wow, the little red mare was certainly being very obliging! Though Maddie had to suspect that this obligingness was a good indicator that there wasn't going to be any difference in the teeth. Indeed, as Maddie narrowed her eyes to study the little mare's teeth, she was greeted by the sight of perfectly normal teeth. She was no great anatomy student herself, but there seemed to be the appropriate number of teeth, in the proper positions. So teeth didn't appear to be one of their differences, either!

Sighing, she stepped back from the little mare and shook her head. "Well, this is proving a bigger challenge than I thought! So far, the size thing is the only thing I'm seeing that's really different; you've got the same parts, and the same mane, and the same coat. You even had a coat and pattern almost exactly the same as my Grandpa," She added with a giggle. "Same color, same base; the only difference is that Grandpa has real wings, not just wing markings, but otherwise you almost look like you could be a member of the family. A short one," Maddie finished with a chuckle.

"So, I guess that means I give up. What are the other differences?"  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Well, that had been a nice little game while it lasted, Liani thought with a chuckle. She had closed her mouth and stepped backwards by the time the other mare conceded, and was ready with a quick response. "Well, the height really is the only thing, Sweetheart. There are probably a few internal differences that we just don't know about, what with the fact that Usdia and Soquili can't procreate, but beyond that that? We're basically the same."

Liani could have gone on, and was about to go on. However, that changed abruptly at what had to be a small side reference of the mare's, something that was only said because it somewhat tied into the conversation. The comment about Liani looking like her grandfather, except her grandfather had wings and Liani didn't. No doubt the mare thought the reference would be just that, a reference to a commonality that would be acknowledged and then forgotten. Except...

A wind Soquili stallion, with coloration exactly like hers?

It started as an incredulous look, but after a few moments, an impish smile crossed Liani's face. "Your grandpa..is his name Guilian, by any chance?"  

[Cajmera]

Madeira
~~~

Talk about your surprising moments; in the blink of an eye, Madeira had gone from viewing the little red mare as an alien creature to an alien creature with which she shared a common link. She had been amused and a little chagrined when she realized that size was the only difference between herself and Liani (well, technically). She found herself wondering if they really were different species at all, now, or if the little mare was just pulling her leg. It wouldn't be the first time Maddie would have fallen for a prank...

But that was all shunted to the side when the little mare said 'Guilian.' At once, she became a personal connection, and Madeira was fascinated. How, when, and why had this little thing made her Grandpa's acquaintance? Looking at Liani with newly interested eyes, Maddie gave a quick nod. "Yep, that's him. He's my grandpa, on my mom's side. I don't know him all that well, but he looks EXACTLY like you, color and pattern-wise. Where do you know him from?"  

[Cajmera]

Liani
~~~

Well, wasn't that something! The other mare said it so casually; 'he's my grandpa, on my mom's side.' Just like that, Liani was transported back in time, to the fun and carefree weeks she'd spent traveling with Guilian when both of them were newly arrived in the Kawani lands. She'd been so young then, and he...he had been amazing! Young and fresh, carefree and spirited; he had been everything she'd ever dreamed of, and she had been in awe of him. They clicked immediately and traveled about together as the best of friends; looking back, it had been inevitable that Liani would develop a crush on him. Sure, he was a Soquili and she was an Usdia, but that had changed nothing in her mind. Coming from a loose and unstructured family, Liani had grown up with no real close relationships. Guilian was the first creature she had felt any sort of connection to in years, and the fact he was handsome and charming...

Unfortunately for Liani, the attraction had been purely one-sided. Guilian was an unabashed playboy, a fact he had told Liani frankly from the beginning, but apparently he drew the line at inter-species relationships. Probably because the only 'relationship' Guilian understood was a physical one. Liani doubted he'd ever even considered her as more than a friend; while that was enough to keep her going, it had been soul crushing when Guilian had told her one day, completely out of the blue, that he was ready for them to part ways. It just wasn't his way to stick with a companion for any length of time, even a platonic one.

That had been years ago, when they were both young and carefree. Liani liked to think she was still carefree; she still travelled, she was still open to the many mysteries of life. But no one had come into her life since Guilian, real or imagined. She was still much the same as she was; single, solitary, and alone. Guilian had been that way once; they had had a memorable chat one night about their respective upbringings and role those upbringings had had on their unorthodox world views. During the course of that conversation, Guilian had relayed the fact that he was pretty sure he was sterile. Not many Soquili would mention a fact that personal to a casual friend, so Liani had taken it as a compliment to be entrusted with such an intimate piece of knowledge.

And now here she was, years later, talking to Guilian's GRANDDAUGHTER. Apparently Guilian had been a wee bit mistaken when it came to his virility, a fact that didn't surprise Liani one bit. He was too much a stud to be shooting blanks.

A small throat-clearing noise from the other mare brought Liani sharply back into the present, and she realized she had been lost in her memories for an inordinately long period of time. Smiling, she shook her head at the other mare. "Sorry, I was just lost in some memories. Your grandpa and I were friends a looooong time ago, back when he was newly arrived in these parts and had no kids at all!" She wasn't about to share the sterile thing with any granddaughter, thought!