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 Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:31 am
This was what life was supposed to be, he thought as he vaulted a small ditch, this was how every Nequus should live if they wished to. Wild and free and as careless as the dawn. He had duties, and he knew them well but for now he didn’t need to worry about them; this gallop was even part of them really. Reaching Bastet’s friend Nyx was a duty, and he was executing it to the best of his ability.
He was getting quite tired though. After checking quickly that his mate wasn’t going to run into him if he slowed, the blue-eyed Jala dropped back from his full pace to a canter and waited for the mare to come up beside him. When she did, she nipped at his neck, extracting a snort of amusement from the sleek stallion. “Alright, you got me,” he took a couple of panting breaths and slowed to a trot, “can we take a rest now? I’m exhausted.” Distance running never had been his forte.
Bastet grinned at the short maned stallion and slowed her own pace to match his, soon dropping into an easy walk. “Sure,” she said with a nod, peering about for either something interesting to eat or something to drink., “I could’ve kept going for ages though,” she added which got her another snort of amusement. Snorting back, the striped mare head butted the other Jala affectionately, making the smaller Nequus stagger sideways a pace, and scanned their surroundings again.
A moment later, her slit-pupiled eyes caught on a flash of brilliance; sunlight on water. “C’mon hot shot,” she chuckled, “let’s go get a drink.” It was good to be out of the herd.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 5:58 am
She couldn’t see his face from here though, which was a shame, but she could rectify that in a few moments. First of all, however, she wanted to see about the striped mare beside him. It was always best to know whether or not you were actually competing before you made your first move, after all. Smirking to herself, the dappled mare flicked her dark wings at a fly before becoming motionless once more and training her eyes firmly on the feather-winged pair as they approached the river that ran by her hiding place.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:08 am
Diego splashed gratefully into the river when they reached it, wading in up to his neck and sighing contentedly as the cool flow washed about him. “Are we close yet, do you think?” he asked of his mate as she joined him in the water, lowering his lips to the water to drink once he had spoken. He hoped they were, he had to admit. Nyx sounded like somebody he wanted to meet, and of course her advice on herds near to her’s that might have suitable mares for his brother in would be invaluable. He would be happier, he thought, once he had that information; there was no great call to hurry into action based upon it but having it would make him feel as though he was doing more dutiful second son things than he was procrastinating. He wasn’t ready to go home just yet.
Bastet took a good long drink of the cool fresh water before raising her head to answer her mate; she hadn’t realized quite how thirsty she’d been until the water had been right there. “I think we are, yea,” she responded with a nod, “we ought to get to her lands by tomorrow, and she’d not a very hard person to find once you’re there; somebody will know where to find her even if she isn’t immediately obvious.” She’d have to make sure she got a few words in with the Aeri before anyone else spoke, though. So far as Nyx knew, Diego was still a cold b*****d who was probably treating her like drek. She didn’t want the golden stallion beside her to get treated coolly by the usually friendly mare; he did hate reminders that he hadn’t always been a good person.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:26 pm
...Well it didn’t seem like the striped mare was the sleek stallion’s mate. That was a good thing, she supposed, though it was a pity she wasn’t going to get to steal the handsome creature’s attention away from the chunky mare; that would be so much more inappropriate than just flirting with a stranger. Drat. Shrugging internally, you couldn’t get everything you wanted after all, Kallisto stepped out from under the tree and walked gracefully to the water’s edge.
“Greetings,” she said to the pair of Jala, smiling to herself as she noted the handsome planes of the stallion’s face and brilliant blue eyes. What a lucky find he was. “My name,” she went on, “is Kallisto, glad to meet you.” This last, though it could be taken as having been to both of them, had been subtly aimed at the stallion. The striped mare was pretty enough, she supposed, but she was in the mood for stallion, and flirting with one outside her breed was probably even more scandalous if there was the possibility that a tree would come of it.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:09 pm
Well hello. She was a pretty one, wasn’t she?... Damnit, he had a mate. Drek, he did dislike having a mate. “Delighted to meet you too,” the sleek JAla said nwith a smile, wading out of the river to meet the pretty Ichsa. “I’m Diego, and this is Bastet. Is this your stretch of land, by any chance?” He’d certainly like to invade her territory once or twice, or more given the opportunity. Lovely pale eyes she had, really lovely... And yes he still had a drekking mate. At least he could take comfort in the fact that Bastet would probably be as frustrated by the situation as he was... Though he wasn’t really sure what his striped companion’s type was; she might not like Ichsa at all.
Well damn; the damned Ichsa was damned well flirting with Diego. She ought to expect it really, those with her own preferences were fewer than those who did not share such attraction but it was still a bit of a disappointment. Snorting to herself, the tall mare followed her mate out of the water and glared at him. It wasn’t fair that he got to subtly flirt and not she; they were mates damnit... Though she had been thinking that it would be nice for both of them to have someone to really love... But to flirt right in front of her? That was not going to stand, she needed to do something about it soon before things got away from her.
Giving another snort, the striped mare took another pace forward and draped a wing of Diego’s back. That ought to do it. “Yea, nice to meet you Kallisto,” she said with a smile, “lovely day, isn’t it?”
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:46 pm
Humm, so perhaps they were mates after all? Well they hadn’t acted like it to begin with; she was perfectly excused in her mistake... Actually maybe this would be even more fun. Flirting with two Jala at once? How scandalous. She did hope word of her conduct got back to her herd and shamed her family. Kallisto turned her faced to the striped mare and smiled. “Lovely indeed, and all the more lovely for laying eyes on two creatures as marvelous as yourselves. Seldom have I been privileged to see such beauty.” Save when she looked in the river, of course, but that bit of vanity could stay quiet. Humility was always valued by others, so long as it didn’t progress into ridiculous self-deprecation in any case.
“So then Diego and Bastet,” the flaxen mare said with another smile and a toss of her long, well-groomed mane, “where might you be heading this fine day?” If they were going somewhere interesting she might even decide to tag alone.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:28 pm
Diego raised an eyebrow and smirked. Well wasn’t this their lucky day? Obviously things wouldn’t go anywhere serious with her... well they probably would but... but who was to say? If he and Bastet brought a new member for the herd, especially an Ichsa which the herd had only a couple of, where was the harm in it? If she became particular friends with either himself or Bastet, where was the harm in that? Of course the chances of such a thing happening were slim, but it was good to know that if there were sparks between any of them, those sparks could be invesitgated.
“We’re going further into D’ob,” Diego told the Ichsa with a nod, “looking for the herd of Nyx to ask her advice on mate hunting for my brother.” What a backside the mare had, what legs! Elegance, grace, everything that was beautiful in beautiful Ichsa she had and such pale eyes against her dark face. If he had been allowed to choose the form of his mate, the golden Jala felt, he would have chosen something like her’s, but with feathered wings and no horn,
...Oh? Oh she was included now was she? Bastet removed her wing from her mate’s back and tried to decide whether or not she was pleased. Sure the mare was pretty but... Well... Diego was here. She couldn’t exactly flirt with Diego around, now could she? Anyway, she had no idea if this Kallisto was her type or not. Shrugging internally, the striped Jala nodded to her mate’s words. “Yea,” she said aloud, “looking for one of our own kin for him, and of course having a bit of fun while we’re at it. What’s the point of life if you’re not enjoying it, right?”
Perhaps she just needed to... to... pretend Diego was her wing-stallion, helping her draw in the pretty mares and then letting her have the last word as it were... Or maybe he thought she was doing that for him. Maybe he was pleased by the idea of a threesome. Bastet shuddered internally at that idea; being with Diego was alright she supposed but him and somebody she might actually be attracted to? Not a pretty idea in the least.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:36 pm
Oh well that was boring. Time to move on then, once she’d done some more flirting in any case; the more of that she got in the better. “Well I’ve never heard of any Nyx,” Kallisto said with a slight smile, “but I’m sure she’ll be glad to receive you both; I’d be very glad to receive either or both of you myself, but alas I have no herd to invite you to. Still, I suppose we needn’t worry ourselves too much on that score, humm? At least we’ve met one another, albeit quite briefly. I must be heading on soon, you see, I’ve much to do.”
Like behave inexcusably and find herself... Well she hadn’t decided yet really; Aeri, Jala or Reya would do very well though, or a Bae thinking of it. Pretty much any stallion but one of her own kind, and one she wouldn’t mind having a thoroughly inappropriate tree with. There was too much choice in the world, that was the trouble, so many stallions about and only one of her! And, of course, she needed to make sure that she would have support whilst the tree grew, either from its sire or from friends. She’d have to think about that one; it posed a bit of a problem if she was to go about having one night stands. A friend or several friends seemed like the best idea, but where was she to find those? Well in a herd, perhaps. Humm, so that left her to find a thoroughly inappropriate herd to join. She could work on that.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:52 am
Well that was disappointing; first time in forever that he had a chance to flirt with a pretty mare and she had to say goodbye as soon as she said hello. “Oh, well if you’re in a hurry we shan’t detain you,” Diego said with a smile, keeping his disappointed frown thoroughly internal.
“If you ever wish to pay a visit to my father’s herd, I’m sure you would be well received even if we haven’t made it back yet,” he went on, “Estavan’s herd you want, just north of D’ob, south of Ruyten. We’re always glad to receive visitors, especially visitors as lovely as yourself.” Beh, but back home he wouldn’t be able to flirt anymore. Damn. Well at least he could still look at her provided he was subtle about it... If of course she ever decided that visiting his home was a good idea, which she might well not. Doubtless shallow bastards like himself tried to get her to ‘visit’ them at every turn, and if she was so spoiled for choice she hardly had need of yet another offer.
“Yea,” Bastet agreed, pleased that Diego had thought to make the offer, “I could show you around the place, maybe get better acquainted with you. I think it could be fun.” Great fun, provided she was subtle about it. Still, mares were allowed to be snuggly with their friends; the fact that she generally wasn’t was considered a shade abnormal, so hey, she’d even be doing her image a favor. With her children now grown up, it was becoming a bit more of a problem to maintain it. Without the excuse of having to care for her foals, she was around other adults so often, and there were so many more chances for her to slip up.
Inevitably, sometimes she did.
Trying to join in sparring with the stallions? Not a great move on her part. The snorting, thoroughly ungenteel laugh when that brash colt had fallen in the river? Not great either. Proper ladies giggled, but the closest Bastet had ever managed to that was a chuckle. Perhaps it was time she found herself a ‘friend’ who could handle all the social graces, give her cues and of course be her love. Failing that, Bastet suspected that she was going to have to have more children.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:45 am
Kallisto smiled and dipped her head down to the side; just a little dash of coy seemed to work wonders on most, and the half-lusty glance from her pale-blue eyes couldn’t hurt at all either. “Well, thank you both,” the dappled mare said with another smile, “I shall definitely have to pay you a visit at some point; I should very much like to become far better acquainted with both of you.” Raising her head, still with that little smile in place, the slender Ichsa looked from on Jala to the other and then back again. “For now though, a pity though it is, I really must be on my way. I do hope our paths cross again sometime, sometime soon for preference. Farewell Diego, Bastet, and good luck with your mission.”
With these words and a last smile to the pair, Kallisto turned her back to the Jala and sprung away at a gallop. It streamed her mane and tail out behind her wonderfully, she knew, and showed off her grace in motion and her elegant legs. Once she had put herself out of sight of her new acquaintances, the Ichsa trotted to a halt and paced down to the river to have a good long drink and a think. Estavan’s herd, she felt, might be a good place to start on her hunt for a handrakai to call home. Perhaps she could even get herself in with Diego’s brother, whose name she had sadly forgotten to enquire after. Yes, that would be good. A Jala, and one expected to take a fine mate. It would be better if people didn’t know he was the father of her foals, having them suspect would be much more fun, she thought. Chuckling to herself, the flaxen-maned mare raised her head from the river and turned her hooves northward.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:06 am
“Well,” said Diego as the dappled shape vanished from sight, “that was different.” It always amazed him, the range of people to be found outside the herd. That Kallisto was one of the more interesting specimens, far better than that airhead appaloosa he’d run into when he’d first left his family for that one bad winter. What had her name been? Oh yes, Eira. Diego snorted to himself; what a moony little twerp she’d been, he hoped the special someone he’d been taking her to was more patient than he was or she wouldn’t have had a claim on them for very long.
“We should probably get moving,” the blue-eyed stallion said after a moment, giving himself a shake to rid his coat of excess water; he wanted wanted to do it with Kallisto about and the tickle of the drips running down his body had been driving him close to distraction.
Bastet nodded and followed her mate’s example of shaking off; it made her long mane fly into disarray but she didn’t need to be proper out here and so she made no attempt to rectify the situation. “Yea, we should,” she agreed aloud, speaking as much to turn her mind from the lovely Kallisto as to communicate with Diego. “Well, let’s then shall we?” she added, turning in the general direction of her Aeri friend’s home territory and setting off at a trot.
As her mate set off beside her in silence, Bastet allowed her mind to wander rather than trying to start conversation. How was Nyx doing with Hasani, she wondered. It would be good to know how things turned out who chose truth rather than duty, as the splotched mare herself had put it. To be in love with your mate, to want to have a family, a life with them... it was hard to picture, and was something that she’d never wanted herself, probably because she’d been trying to imagine herself with a stallion.
As the two Jala moved along in companionable silence, the muscled mare allowed herself a quiet daydream about a life with a mare who took on Kallisto’s form. They would adopt orphaned or abandoned foals, they’d travel and they’d laugh and teach the little ones to only ever be themselves. It was a silly dream, one that wouldn’t come true, but beggars could not be choosers. Giving a faintly sad smile to nobody in particular, Bastet dreamed on.
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