|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 9:45 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 10:23 pm
 |
|
|
|
IM RP
Divena Rynga Bel made his way down the path, whistling softly to himself. He was a strong believer in maintaining a cheerful manner, even if he wasn't feeling particularly cheerful. So the lovely mare he'd been traveling with didn't want him around any more... it was... no big deal. It wasn't like she was the One... His whistling faded away into a sigh. What he needed was another charming mare to help him forget the last one...
Bardess Ookami Lelani was unaware of Ringa's thoughts and aims. She was even unaware of his presence. She was off on an errand of her own. She trotted through the grasses, stopping now and again to graze. She made her way to a stream and sipped of the cool crisp water, letting the breeze flutter her wings and hair, enjoying the feel of it across her. She loved a day like this, so pleasant. Having a task to do that allowed her the time to dawdle, on a wonderful day...
Her mouth at the stream, her ears filled with wind and water, she was blissfully unaware that she was about to have company.
Divena Hearing the sound of water nearby, Rynga decided to stop for a drink of water. Following the sound, Rynga found himself faced with not just a river, but a beautiful vision in silver. "Be still my heart," he murmured, admiringly. "What have we here..."
Bardess Ookami She heard a voice, though perhaps fortunately for him, what exactly had been said was lost. She licked her lips delicately, then wiped her mouth subtly in the grass before she lifted her head to find the one who spoke.
Her eyes landed on the red and white stallion, passing over him appraisingly. She kept her conclusions from her face, seeming only mildly and polity curious as to who he was. What she actually thought of him was known to her and only her.
"Hello," she said in a soft and slightly melodic voice, because it was polite. Because that was what was expected from a delicate well bred filly of her seeming. She let her eyes close and open slowly when they moved, bringing her lashes up and down in a deliberate, graceful, sweep.
Divena Such poise! Such grace! The lady was a dream come to life, surely! "Hello, lovely vision," Rynga said with a charming smile. Several lines ran through his mind, and he quickly discarded all of them as being too crude for so pure a maiden. "Pray, may this lowly stallion ask thy name?" Okay... that was not his best.
Bardess Ookami Her brows did not arch, did not in any way lift. She did not show show amusement, nor did she show disdain. She kept clear of her face that she did not trust him one whit. True, she trusted few Soquili until she had their measure, but she trusted him even less than she trusted most. Such flattery was often false, a front to cover something else, or the mark of an utter mindless cad. None of those were things she chose to associate with.
However, it would not do at all to show her wariness nor her disgust. She would play the game. Were he a cad he would grow bored soon and wander off. Were this a cover, there might be something here worth learning. She wouldn't let something so paltry as disgust and rising gorge stop her from learning what there might be to know.
"I am known as Lelani," she said simply, neither encouraging his flirtatious ways, nor discouraging him.
Divena Rynga wasn't the least bit deterred by her lack of interest in him. He sighed wistfully. "Lelani," he repeated. "A name fit for an angel such as yourself... I am Rynga, lovely one. Please believe me when I say it is an honor to meet you on this fine day."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:44 am
|
|
|
 |
IM RP
Bardess Ookami Oh grasses and winds, how much of this must she endure? Waters give her strength. Still, she kept her face polite. She did not show how disgusted she was by this flirt. There might be something below all this hot air, some cloud with a silver lining at the end of all this wind he was blowing. She had some time yet on her task, and as she was on a task, there was always the chance that he happened across her, not by chance but because she was on a quest. She needed to find out what was behind the foppish mask, and for that she needed to keep down her lunch.
"The day is quite fine, yes," she agreed politely. Would her lack of response frustrate him enough to show her a glimpse of what lay beyond the act? That would depend largely on how well trained he was. While she found the idea of pitting herself against one of her own level of skill to be exciting, did his cover have to be a flirty fop? She was near about ready to kill him, and they had known each other only moments to this point. No. If this were a battle of keeping up appearances, she would not be the one to fold, she would not lose. She would find out what lay behind his facade and then she would do what she had to with that information, and then ultimately, she would complete her mission.
She just hoped that the part involving him was brief and soon completed.
Divena His smile remained in place, as did his flirty air. Outwardly, it didn't seem as though anything had changed. Inwardly, he could sense the chill in her response, though it was clear that she was working hard to stay polite. By now, a mare often either flirtted back or told him to buzz off... Only those who were unsure of his motives, or intending to use him, kept up the not quite cold politeness that this mare was maintaining. He flashed back to his last companion and quickly shook the memories off. "Are you familiar with these parts, my lady?" he asked, hopefully.
Bardess Ookami "Somewhat," she said, noncommittally. Better to give no strong answers, that way she could feign ignorance where it needed to be claimed, but wouldn't be caught out in a lie if she knew some small aspect of this place. Someone who had passed through this place some number of times before, but not one who dwelt here often. Close to the truth, which did make her uncomfortable, but logically it remained the best answer to give.
She watching him carefully, still affecting the polite air she was keeping about her. She would keep up this mask, this persona. And she had some hope yet. There had been something less of flirting in his last question. She chose to take that as a good sign.
Divena She wasn't much of a talker, which wasn't necessarily a good thing. Maybe she was just shy. He hoped so. He wasn't looking forward to being used and abused again. Maybe if it was the right mare... ah, but that was a thought for another time. He continued smiling brightly at her. "I'm afraid I'm more than a bit lost. May I impose upon you, lovely lady?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:50 pm
|
|
|
|
IM RP
Bardess Ookami Well didn't that sound open ended and undefined? Did her think her stupid to agree to such a thing? Was he testing to see how stupid she was? Possibly. He could be a challenge, or he could be an idiot. It was a fine line some days, and when it turned out someone was just a moron, part of her always wondered if she had missed something. Though with this one, she might just have been willing to accept that, except fr the possibility that this chance meeting had something to do with her current task.
"Lost?" she asked, seeming vapid and a bit lost herself, as though she did not quite understand what he could mean. She glanced to the water, as if confused, as if to imply "if you can find a source of water, how could you ever be lost?" she would see what he would do with that. She would love to believe that the answer would be telling, but she knew better.
Divena His smile didn't waver a bit when she glanced at the river. He also didn't buy her vapid act. She seemed to exude an intelligent air, one that for some reason she seemed to feel she needed to disguise for some strange reason. "Yes, lost," he confirmed. He gave a sorrowful sigh, finally letting the smile drop. "You see, I have no clue where I am... save near a river and in the company of a creature of angelic beauty."
Bardess Ookami She let herself frown ever so slightly, as if she were that confused and dim. "Well," she asked, tilting her head slightly, "where were you trying to be?" There, she would see how he answered that. And she managed not to kick his teeth in for that creature of angelic beauty comment. He was a creature of moronic annoyance. She should be proud of herself for suffering the fool this long. Still, she could not slip, she had to play the game. Until she knew for sure... she had to keep playing the game.
Life would be so much simpler if it was socially acceptable to kill idiots
Divena "I'm on my way home," he explained, seemingly unaware just how vague he was being. He smiled again, once more bright and cheerful. "It's a wonderful thing, home, don't you think?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2016 6:30 pm
|
|
|
|
RP Log
Bardess Ookami Was he intentionally trying to draw her out? To get her to talk more, to ask for information? Like she was new at this? What she was, she realized, was highly insulted.
Okay so she NEEDED him to underestimate her, but seriously, that trick was so basic, so juvenile, for him to think she'd give herself away over it rankled.
Wait. No. Of course. The insult to her intelligence was clearly intentional. He didn't think he'd get her to slip by speaking, he thought her anger would betray her. Oh... that's good. Okay then, she had to fall into the trap, but carefully. She had to control it, while seeming oblivious. A real challenge. Alright, she could dance to this tune, she could do this. He thought he could beat her at this? Well he was wrong. Oh so very wrong.
But she still needed an answer. He made it too easy to use this as a chance to pump him for information. That was the trap. She had to seem like she was responding as a simpleton might, not as one who wanted more information might. "I guess it depends on the home," she said softly, fluttering her lashes lightly. Ugh, possibly too much. Okay, not so much simple as shy. That could work with what she'd already done, right? Dang it, she was not at her best just now.
Divena "I suppose that's very true," he confirmed, pondering that. What type of home did he have waiting for him? He had just said that to be vague and noncommittal. Who wasn't trying to get home? But in truth, he would have loved to go home. He just couldn't remember what that was, or even where to begin looking for it. He had been traveling since his accident, seeking out The One, or failing that, someone who recognized him. This mare obviously wasn't going to be the latter, but maybe the former.
Bardess Ookami Not for all the platinum horse shoes in the lands, she wasn't. He was still trying to make her fish for answers, well, she wasn't going to. Not unless there was a big enough payout, and even then she'd be cautious. His answer was a whole lot of nothing, so she would reply in kind. She bent her head to sip from the stream, gazing up at him through her lashes, wordlessly.
Let the little flirt hoofed clod trodder figure out what to do with THAT! HA!
Divena He smiled apologetically at her. He was feeling somewhat dismissed. Normally, he wouldn't have let that get him down but... well, he was still raw from the last rejection. He decided to try and change the topic... slightly. "Ah, my apologies, Lady. Clearly I'm boring you. Could you perhaps tell me where I might find the nearest herd?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 5:45 pm
|
|
|
|
RP Logs
Bardess Ookami A 'heard of what' joke died before it could make its way to her mouth. She kept drinking as she debated how to handle this opportunity. If it were genuine and he were truly going to leave, then she was glad of it, glad to be rid of him, but if he were here to intercept her, or spoil this mission, then that just meant he'd come at her from a different angle.
Better the skinwaker you know, as the saying goes. But if this was an innocent meeting, an actual coincidence, then she could be rid of him, whch would be lovely. But did she really wish to spend the rest of her mission looking over her haunches, wondering if he was watching her from somewhere?
She blew out lighhtly through her nose and lifted her head to look at him. "I don't know where any might be," she said simply. It had the benefit of being the truth. More, it meant she wasn't making the choice just yet. she could get more of his measure. Perhaps.
Divena "Ah, well, that's a shame," he sighed, though he continued smiling. "Should I take that to mean that you are on your own, then?" It was, to his mind, an innocent question. Though as soon as the words were out, he realized how cagey she was being, and he had to wonder if she would take it as innocently as it was meant. Too late now to take it back, though. So he just kept smiling at her, waiting for an answer and to see what she would do.
Bardess Ookami If he was here because of her mission, then that was a probing question, if he was a flirt true, that could be a threatening one.
On the one hoof, he could be planning to attack her to try and stop her form completing her task or maybe he thought she had something for the task hidden in her curls and he meant to find them. The only comfort there was that if he killed her, the mission died with her. There was no evidence to find.
On the other hoof... He could be waiting to be sure she was alone and then... well.. he had made it clear that he thought she was pretty, and if he thought he could overpower her, well, he had best think again. Her hooves were carefully sharpened, subtle but enough to cause damage.
Still. Either way could lead to a fight, and it was better to get through this without leaving blood or even his limp dead body behind. The problem with a lie at this point was that it was to easy to call her on it. It was too obvious she was alone.
So.... how to avoid the fight, without an obvious lie? An obvious lie was only useful when she wanted someone to think she was a horrible liar. This situation was not to that point at the moment. Not yet.
Finally she settled on as safe a middle ground as she thought she could come to. "How could I be alone, if you're here?" she asked. A safe middle ground reply. She hoped.
Divena "That is very true," he chuckled. "You're as clever as you are beautiful, my dear. I suppose, at this moment, you are not alone. I will also imagine that you have a family waiting at home for you..." he nodded a bit to himself. That would make him feel better if he decided to leave the lovely mare behind. He could never just abandon so beautiful a lady to loneliness, but if she had a family... yes, he could walk away from that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:50 am
|
|
|
|
RP Logs
Bardess Ookami That was most certainly a probing question. He was looking for more information than she was willing to give. No way was she telling anyone about her family, least of all him. There was not a chance. But how did she say anything that wouldn't imply one answer or another?
And what of his calling her clever? Clearly she was showing nothing of the sort, so was he implying he knew she was faking or was he truly dim enough he thought that remark witty? Or maybe he knew she was playing a game and appreciated how well she spun the answer.
Waters and winds, he was frustrating. She needed to figure out yet what to say, how to reply to that without actually answering. Wait, his phrasing. He would also imagine. Not that he did already imagine. Why would he say it that way? What is he truly up to?
She couldn't just tell him to imagine what he wished, too brusque for the personality she was showing at the moment, and implied strongly that she had no family at all. No, she had to be more careful. Likewise she couldn't just agree. This would all be so much easier if she knew for sure if he was an innocent idiot or not. She managed to night sigh inwardly. She did let herself study the sky.
Lelani managed not to smile as the answer came to her, but it was a near thing. "Imagination is wonderful, isn't it?" she said as she gazed at the clouds, as though she fancied she could make out shapes in their rounded patterns. She would see what he would do with that.
She was aware she was making a mess of things, she only hoped she lived long enough to learn from this and to do better next time, that she would survive long enough to have a next time at all.
Divena Rynga followed her gaze for a moment, wondering what it was she was seeing. "Yes, it is," he agreed, cheerfully. "Imagination is wonderful, and highly powerful. A soq with imagination can do amazing things."
Bardess Ookami A safe enough thing to agree with, without giving anything away. It didn't commit her to anything, nor tell him anything new about herself. It shared nothing at all of her mission.
Besides, he just agreed with her an added elaboration. She could agree with him in noncommittal terms, playing the same game in essence.
"Yeah," she said with a small nod, her voice dreamy
Divena "What do you see, my lady?" he asked, curiously. He'd heard once that you could tell a lot about a person from what they saw in blobs of clouds. Or maybe that was just something he'd been told to get him to go away... come to think of it... he couldn't recall who had even told him that much. A memory, perhaps? One could hope...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu May 05, 2016 5:30 pm
|
|
|
|
RP Logs
Bardess Ookami Was this a test? Was he trying to get a read on her based on the complexity of her answer? And maybe not just the complexity. What could he take from it if she gave an answer that was at all unexpected? How clever was he?
Fop or flop? Stooge or stage? Grass and sky how she wished she knew for sure. Since she didn't she had to keep her guard up, come up with perfect answers to his inane questions, on the off chance it wasn't inane. She was playing stupid, he could be doing the same. If he was, she very much hoped he found her as frustrating as she found him. If he was, he gave no sign of it. He seemed to be a careless wanderlust stricken flirty fop. If he was...
She was tired of the 'if he was's. and she had to answer.
What did she see? Well, she supposed there was one safe answer, though she doubted it would be enough to get him to drop it, if this were an act. Still... it was very much worth a shot. "Clouds," she said simply. Then she lowered her head to peer at him through the veil of her lashes. "What do you see?"
She realized it was a stupid question as soon as it was out of her mouth. He was going to use the excuse to flirt. "In the clouds," she amended, trying for damage control.
Divena That was a disappointingly dull answer, especially given that she had been the one to bring up imagination in the first place. Either she was deliberately giving him the runaround, or she didn't have two brain cells to spark off each other. He smiled at the qualifier and looked up at the sky again. He studied the clouds for a few moments before he chose one and answered, "A castle in the sky..."
Bardess Ookami "Castles?" she asked. "A castle in the sky? I've never been to a castle," she said, looking to get more information from him, trying to get more of an idea from him as to which he was. She needed to know, needed to settle this so she knew how to react. She watched him through her lashes, carefully, trying to look sweet and innocent.
Divena Rynga smiled at her. "Me neither," he admitted with a laugh. "But I've seen sand castles built up by little foals..." At least, he vaguely recalled sand mounds... they could have been sand castles, couldn't they? "That's what the clouds look like... have you ever seen a sand castle?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 11:02 am
|
|
|
|
RP Logs
Bardess Ookami Rather than answer his question directly, she chose to answer with implication, asking a question to imply she didn't have the answer, which would also imply an answer to his question. He wasn't going to catch her off guard, no way, no how.
"How would they build sand castles with their hooves?" she asked. Hooves weren't exactly made for fine work, and foals tended to be clumsy, so it was a reasonable enough question if she had never seen it happen before.
She was watching him still, trying to take his measure still. How would he respond, would he buy the implication? Would he accept it at face value? Or would he only pretend to buy it? Or would he call her out? So many possible answers, so much she could learn from his reaction.
Divena He considered her question for a long moment before smiling as if he had hit upon the proper answer. "Claws," he said, simply. "Or buckets.... There's no telling if they had hooves. They could have been small castles... There are so many ways to do nearly anything, if you're just a little creative about it. But I'm sure I don't to tell such a clever lady as yourself that." He wondered what she would do with that.
Bardess Ookami ....No telling if they had hooves. Could have been small castles. The little.... he'd never actually seen them! It was a lie all along! And now she knew! He was playing a game as well. Knowing that made it easier. If it was a game that he wanted to play, then she could play.
She felt much easier in her own skin knowing where things stood. Games she could do. So far she had played the idiot, so she could keep up the game. Now she had to figure out why he was playing this game, but that was far more fun than trying to figure out if there even was a game.
"You think I'm clever?" she asked, as though she was surprised and delighted. She smiled at him, then went back to looking at the clouds. No reason to let him think she had cause to be wary of him.
Divena "But of course!" he beamed at her. "You're beautiful and clearly clever. You must be, mustn't you?" Either that, or she had less between her ears than the sky held at the moment. Not that there was anything wrong with being an airhead. He found it rather relaxing some days. But he somehow doubted that applied to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2016 6:43 pm
|
|
|
|
IM RP
Bardess Ookami She certainly was not going to rise to the bait of being called beautiful, thank you very much. Vanity would not be her downfall as it was it was for so many others. She would ignore the obvious flirting, especially as he had so kindly given her another avenue of conversation to pursue.
"Clearly clever?" she asked with a giggle, as if a two word alliteration had the power to distract and amuse her. "How so am I clever?" she asked, as though she was enjoying his praise and was fishing for complements. She was fishing, but not for flirtatiousness. She wanted to know what he saw wanted to draw him into enough errors and traps that he had to quit the field or confess his deceptions. She wanted him long gone before she continued her important mission.
Divena "Well, you're out here, on a beautiful day, near a refreshing river. That shows a certain level of taste right there, and taste is just another form of cleverness. There's also the fascinating fact that we've had this entire conversation, and yet you've given me utterly no information about yourself... I often find that's another sign of cleverness." He continued to smile brightly at her.
Bardess Ookami He was calling her out now? Well. She supposed she had to mentally give him credit for catching her off guard, not that she let it show. Not the credit, not the startlement.
But she did have to deal with him, did have to respond somehow, in a way that hid herself, kept him from seeing that he scored, make him doubt his conclusions. Make him think she really is the simple mare she seemed. It was fascinating how playing stupid always took so much more thought than pretending to be smarter than she was. Ah well, it was what she had to do, so she did it.
So she gave him a small smile, and looked out over the water, her tail flicking about lazily. "Well, we've had this entire conversation, and I know nothing about you either," she lied easily, turning it back around on him. "So perhaps we are both clever? Or maybe we're both skilled at small talk, instead?" she asked, glancing back at him with a smile.
Divena "Perhaps not," he agreed, amicably. After all, it was rude to disagree with a lady. "There's also the possibility that I'm simply not interesting enough for you to know more about me... or perhaps I don't know enough myself."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 4:49 pm
|
|
|
|
IM RP
Bardess Ookami Not know about himself. Yeah. right. Like she was buying that. That story was too much of a stretch, the most important part of a good lie even one by implication, was to make it believable. So either he was suddenly playing the over the top philosopher "wisdom is knowing how little you know" nonsense, or he was trying to lay out an interesting lie to get her to chase a fish tale. So she ignored that as too much for little old her to comprehend, as though it went over her head and away.
But to do that she had to respond to something else, and the response she wanted to give was laying there, open and obvious and teasing her, taunting her. It was too clean, too easy, it had to be a trap, and all that she was railed against walking into a trap like a good little prey beast. She was no gentle fawn to fall prey to the hunters snare.
Except that someone wise and clever and sneaky like her would see the obvious trap and avoid it. Someone as the person she was playing at being wouldn't see the trap, would stride across the leaf covered pit. But if she knew there was a pit there and was ready for it....
....Yes. She liked that. Yes. That would do nicely.
Let him think he lured and captured a docile lamb, she could play the stupid sheep, because a trap built for a lamb was nothing to a wolf. Fine, she'd take the bait, ask the obvious follow up question, make the stupid bleat brained response. Let him think he's winning. Arrogant stallions let far too much slip anyway.
"I'm sure you are interesting," she insisted in a rather ditzy way, as though startled by the thought that he might not be. "Tell me about yourself, please," she said.
There. She took the bait, now to see the shape of the trap.
Divena Rynga blinked and smiled slightly. "I have already told you all I know, lovely lady," he assured her, cheerfully. "I'm afraid I cracked my head some time ago and remember nothing before that.... As I said, not interesting at all."
Bardess Ookami Like she was going to buy that. Right. But how to reply to that? That was the question. She couldn't call him on it, not outright. That would blow her own cover.
She tried to remind herself of her mission, that what she wanted most was for him to go away. And she still hadn't managed it. She still didn't know how. What was his interest in her mission? Why was he lingering? How could she make him leave?
She couldn't challenge him, and if she asked a polite question, that would be an invitation to stay. Should she play up her ditziness more? She thought that perhaps that might be her best bet... Well, in for a hoof in for a herd.
"Oh," she said softly, looking down at the water, as if she bought it and had no clue what else to say. Hopefully he'd get the hint and take his leave, but she doubted it.
Divena He did take the hint, actually. He still wasn't certain if she was really as empty minded as she seemed, though he didn't believe that. Still, that simple sound made it clear she didn't want him there, and he had no interest in forcing his company on a mare who didn't wish it. Instead, he smiled at her and gave her a way out. "Ah... but I've ruined the mood... my apologies, lady. I'll take my leave and allow you to enjoy your day without anything weighing down on you further. I hope we can meet again some day and engage in a more cheerful conversation."
Bardess Ookami "I would like that," she liked with a small soft smile and a nod. He was actually leaving? Could she trust that? She would be cautious, go somewhere else for a while, and see if she is being followed, if any other seemingly random "chance" meetings occurred.
She gave him another small smile and then turned to sip from the river, watching him subtly from the corner of her eye, through her lashes.
Divena Rynga smiled again and took his leave quietly rather than to drag out the inevitable. With luck, he'd meet the lady again when she was having a better day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
