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 Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:32 pm
 Well, this was quite the predicament. She had been passing by, minding her own business, when a rather put-out huff gave her pause. Not far off the trail were two deer. One was a delicate female with a glower on her face, tail switching in irritation. The other was a taller, more muscular male that was looking rather sheepish. She might have moved on, save for noticing one last little detail.
Hidden within the overhanding shrubbery and tree branches was a net. It looked to be woven of rather strong stuff, and the buck's antlers were caught quite fast in it. Rather than being as frightened as she figured such flighty creatures would be, the doe appeared more likely to chew her mate out than rescue him. However, it was clear the small-boned female had no way to reach high enough to even begin to help him loosen himself.
Normally Damara was the sort to mind her own business, but it was fall after all, and she disliked the entire hunting-for-hide thing some of those distasteful humans did. Rather than move along, she instead stepped off the trail towards them. "Pardon me, but might I be of some assistance?" she asked demurely. After all, if they chose to refuse her help, who was she to force it upon them?
With an imperious stomp of her hoof, the doe spoke just above a whisper, though that small voice was filled with irritation and a touch of disdain. "This clumsy fool was busy trying to impress me, and his antics got him caught." Again her tail flicked about in agitation. "Some suitor! Can't even mind where his antlers are!" With that, the doe turned on her heels and bounded out of sight, leaving the wilting young buck where he stood.
Well, that was certainly an unfortunate turn of events. Damara watched the imperious young female disappear before turning back to the mortified male. "Would you rather I leave you be?" she asked in complete and sincere politeness. A quick shake of his head sent leaves showering down on him and indicated his desire for help.
Thus invited to help, Damara stepped closer. The buck was just slightly smaller than herself, but not so much so to make the feat of untaangling him easy. Determined, she set about the most logical means of freeing him, setting her teeth against one stretch of rope and tipping her head to indicate which way the trapped deer should move to best loosen his rather impressive antlers from the knotted net.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:55 pm
Well, you didn't see that every day.
Louie hadn't really had that much of a plan when he'd woken up that morning. Wander up the the rocky part of the river and watch the fish fight the current, maybe, or else wander up to the mountain and scope out the continuing growth of a rather peculiar flowering shrub he'd recently found up that way...nothing dramatic, nothing exciting, nothing meant to frustrate or depress one anymore than usual.
While he was figuring that out, Louie had decided to see about getting some lunch and had just been passing by when the hushed voices and rustles of the deer had caught his attention. It had only taken a little while for him to see what the problem was, and when he realized the buck's predicament he merely snorted softly to himself. Stupid thing to do, capering about like a ninny with so much low-hanging shrubbery about; even if there HADN'T been a net, that was an excellant way to get tangled. Honestly, some creatures just had no sense.
However, the situation wasn't without its amusement value. As both deer were too preoccupied with their situation to notice him, the stallion stayed back as he was, settling comfortably against a tree a safe distance away to watch how the little drama unfolded. Maybe the buck would get himself free, maybe not; either way, it had potential.
At least, it HAD had potential, right up until the mare appeared. Soon the doe was gone and the stallion was still, the mare nipping away at the encircling net with all the enthusiasm of an altruist with a project.
Talk about your fun killers. Without moving or changing his position, he couldn't help but comment, "You realize that they're never going to learn until they've had to dig themselves out of their own holes, right? That by denying someone the pleasure of correcting their own stupidity, you're denying them the right to benefit from it?"
It wasn't that he was bitter. No, he was just annoyed that he had, once again, been deprived of the pleasure of watching someone have to extricate themselves from a muddle of their own doing. He'd had to do it, others had had to do it, it was healthy and enlightening and beneficial and completely ruined by outside intervention. Enablers never seemed to realize that they were doing more harm than good...
Luckily for this mare, he was here to remedy that situation!
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:19 pm
She had managed to get one prong loose, which gave quite a bit more room for releasing the others bit by bit, when a dry and rather dispassionate voice spoke from the shadows. She paused long enough to flick her ears, nostrils blowing softly to verify that this wasn't a threat, merely an observer. He certainly wasn't keen on helping, that was for sure.
Primly she loosened another prong before turning to regard the stallion fully. He lounged against a tree, his gaze unperturbed. In fact, he practically looked serene, tinged only slightly by some other unnamable emotion. A glance over her shoulder assured her that the buck was beginning to work himself loose now, with much jerking and snorting and pawing. He'd be alright without her help, most likely. Even if he ended up stuck again, she didn't intend to entirely leave the area immediately.
Her full attention returned to the stranger, chin rising loftily. "Perhaps you should withhold judgment until you are certain such actions on my part are not due to a lesson of my own. Had it occured to you that my own past mistake might have led me to this very choice?" Her challenge was couched in a mild tone seasoned with the utmost civility, though her demeanor bespoke pride and self-confidence.
"But aside from such crass assumptions, I could hardly call lending assistance in a matter of life or death 'denying such an individual the benefit of a lesson learned.'" She snorted daintily, a soft noise of gentle derision. "I am guessing you have never been in need of anyone else besides yourself, sir?" Her manners were completely impeccable, though somewhat haughty. Inwardly she was miffed. How dare this young stud come and critcize her kindly gesture as being something that would stunt the development of the one she assisted! As if she were some blithe, naive crusader out to rescue the world. She had inquired first as to whether or not she was required, hadn't she? The idea that she had mishandled the situation seemed entirely preposterous.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:37 pm
"Pft. Fine words, but too much sentiment. Why would I have any reason to analyze your actions or try to assign them to some long-past anguish of an individual I've never met? Can't say it matters to me, nor should it. For that matter, I'd hardly call a little netting a matter of life and death."
She was annoyed. He had two sisters, one of whom frequently channelled annoyance in his general direction, and he knew what annoyed looked like. It could be very subtle, but it was still Annoyed.
The mare most likely resented unsolicited comments on her actions; that was the habit of his that most aggravated Rosa. Bully for her, bully for this mare; all was fair and open to discussion and debate in the wide open spaces of the real world...even when those spaces were in a cramped forest. Anyone who wanted to could comment about him without a written invitation, so this could be considered returning the favor. In advance.
Still, he supposed that he enjoyed his needling. There was amusement to be found in indignation, unsolicited as it tended to be. But ah well, such was his lot. As it was, he remained as he was, eyeing the mare with the same lethargic, unenthused countenance. "And I would agree that you are guessing, but guessing is an unavoidable part of the Soquili mental processes. You show me a Soquili that claims they don't guess, that says that they don't make unfounded judgements even internally, and I'll laugh and show you a liar."
With that, Louie gave the mare a small, mirthless smile. "Any other guesses you'd like to exchange at the moment, or shall we just pick up with judgements? You've got a good handle on mine, I'd say, so I'd love to hear a few of yours."
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:50 pm
His languid words of uncaring admiteedly were beginning to get a rise out of her. Her dear mother had taught her to love and be kind to others. She herself was discovering that often that others did not deserve such offerings, but that too was something her mother had taught her. Love was never deserved, only given. But here was someone who believed just the opposite, and it grated on her sharply, though the signs she showed were small.
However, his next words stung unexpectedly as he turned her own argument against her. For a moment she stared at him with her pale, pale eyes, astonished and very nearly taken aback. This smooth tongued serpent of a stallion had just out-witted her with her very own ideas. There was a moment of stillness, even from the hapless buck behind her.
And then she broke into a laugh. It billowed up from deep within her, very nearly bringing tears to her eyes. "Oh my," she gasped, gaining control of herself before her laughter had lasted unduly long. "It has been ages since someone parried my words so neatly! I had forgotten what it felt like to meet a sharper wit than my own." She wiped her eyes on her forelegs and regarded him with a wry amusement. "Of course you are correct. It works both ways. As such, however, you admit to your own failings, just as I do."
She was curious on how this bland stallion would react to her change in perspective. Tipping her head, she moved a step or two closer. "What say you then? What of my conclusion?" Would he continue being passively aggressive in their verbal fencing? She braced inwardly for him to make some further lackluster barb, but hoped for better. He was too intriguing for her to wish him unworthy of further discussion.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:37 pm
In very few things had Louie taken after his father. Beyond his cardinal mask, feathered wings, and the barest hint of a wave in his red tinged mane he looked nothing like his father; beyond a chronic inability to leave anyone alone and a slight penchant for verbal banter, he ACTED nothing like his father. But in one mannerism, he was very, very much Guilian's son.
As the mare suddenly burst out laughing, one of Louie's brows started to arch; as she continuing to giggle, the brow climbed higher and higher until it had vanished beneath his forelock. It was a small gesture and the only change to his otherwise inscrutible expression, but for all of its simplicity the action spoke volumes.
Louie was not a demonstrative stallion. Emotion and drama were something to be scorned, words and logic and rationality being the only truly important part of any conversation. As far as he was concerned, gestures and tonality and dramatic body-language in general were merely meant to disguise a lack of substance in one's arguements. It was much better to leave the talking to the words themselves; that, and inscrutability served his purposes better.
However, just because he tended to keep things simple didn't mean he couldn't take amusement in the dramatics of others. The shift from Annoyed to Amused was sudden, with the mare's whole countenance changing from the force of her laughter. Rather odd, but amusing at the same time. And gratifying, that she could see that she'd been being hypocritical. Bravo, Mare.
Granted, merely discovering that she wasn't as hypocritical as most meant nothing at this point. As the mare moved closer, he simply stayed as he was, wrapped in his wings and leaning against the tree. "Anyone who thinks they're perfect needs to do some serious self-examination and be subject to a serious interogation and fault-finding by some impartial parties. That, and have a few pointed insults chucked at them by someone of a particularly spiteful nature."
All of this was delivered in the same dry tone, utterly lacking in enthusiasm or bite. In the dark of his eyes, however, there lurked a slight spark, a slight glimmer; this was a challenge, and as such he would answer it. "And which conclusion would that be, that I've never needed help, that I should withhold judgement, or that I'm correct? If it's either of the former, I would say I find them impractical, implausible, and stupid; if the latter, I would say that you're being remarkably observant for a mare that was up in arms over a rather uninspiring remark all of thirty seconds ago."
With that, Louie shifted and straigtened up slightly, giving the mare an appraising look and crossing his wings over his chest. Whatever she was thinking was beyond him, and he'd never been one to try and second-guess his conversation partners if he could help it. Only time would tell if she proved to be of more than a passing amusement, but he had nothing else going on at the moment and thus far, she was proving entertaining.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:17 pm
She eyed him closely, finding little visible to guage his reactions with, though there wer indeed subtle indications. Overall he came across as terribly apathetic and disinterested, but something unnamable gave lie to that impression. At least here was a male finally who wasn't cossetting her and treating her like a princess. She might be prim and proper, she might even appear delicate and weak, but she was her own individual, and preferred to be treated as an equal, if at all possible.
"Actually, I was refeerring to my conclusion that by being correct, you open yourself to your own observations and statements. You too must guess, are not perfect, and make unsound judgments of your own." Her mouth quirked in a ghost of a smile. Cocking a hip, she set the tip of her hoof into the ground, comfortable desipte the fencing of words. "Tell me, are you as honest about yourself as you are about others?" She tipped her head, ears pricked. He was quite a puzzle. She didn't bother to hide her curiousity as she tried to mentally unravel the mystery of him.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll share some of my own foibles," she added, smirking in wry amusement. "Though you don't strike me as the sort to care to hear my enumerated faults." She was beginning to wonder what sort of stallion he was, since she seemed to be getting more information about what he wasn't.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:26 pm
"You mean, would I admit that I don't give a rat's a** about 'feelings', don't care what anyone thinks of me, my looks, my attitude, and my habits, couldn't be less interested in 'compliments', and think that everyone should be left to struggle through life on their own? Quite likely." A small shrug was the first concession Louie made to the mare, the shift in position small, but a start. He then proceded to follow through by bringing up one wing to casually twirl one of his braids with the strong edge of one feather as he said, "But I don't expect anything, and quite honestly couldn't care one way or another about your issues. You've got them, we both know; the details are the only thing that remains unknown to the greater world, and details can be wildly irrelevant. But hey, don't let me stop you if you feel like sharing."
With that, Louie shrugged again, giving the mare a slight smirk of amusement as she crept even closer and looked him over with obvious confusion. She was an amusing sort, this mare; he didn't doubt she'd get huffy and try to kick him or stomp off before too long, but for the moment she was at least passably amusing. Maybe not as amusing as if she were standing there argueing with him, but he could be lenient.
And on the topic of leniency, he tossed out, "I'm Louie." That was it; no request for her name, just his own. If she wanted to share, that was her business, after all.
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Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:54 pm
This stallion was a complete and utter bundle of contradictions. He strove to present a cool and impartial front, but apparently enjoyed intellectual banter, and yet seemed to be blithely unaware of the almost childish absent-minded gesture of fiddling with his braid that way. Inwardly she was amused and intrigued all at once. He was almost endearingly maddening.
"Is it intentional that you just listed those as undesirable thing? I find it intriguing you'd find those things as negative aspects of your nature and character, considering you seem to value those specific things rather highly." She shifted her weight and set a single hoof forward, moving with it before pausing again. "Perhaps it is because others mention those things to you with the same derision which you heaped upon my own action?" Another shifting of weight with a single hoof movement. "Ah, but there we go again in this tidy circle of logic. Because if that were so, you'd be doing the same thing yourself." She flashed him a speculative look. "Of course, you could just be completely irracible, but if so, you'd not be bothering with an upstart mare like myself that talks too much." This last was said with almost a chuckle, and another slow, measured step forward.
"The thing is, those details you mock as insignificant are half the equation of understanding." She shrugged her shoulders slightly. "What's the point to observing and judging an action with only half the information? Continued observation of merely reactions gives you little to no knowledge at all, and certainly no wisdom." She took another step and paused to eye him again. "I would assume someone of your intelligence could see the benefit of actual wisdom, as opposed to personally assumed pseudo-wisdom?" She shook her mane out of her moon-like eyes. "After all, wisdom isn't only learned from personal experience, though it seems that is your preferred method of assimilation." She flashed him a highly amused grin, eyes glittering mischieviously. "Do you never learn unless you dig yourself out of your own hole?"
She snorted softly and stepped again, her slow progrees an arc, so that by now she was nearing being parallel to him. "I'd like to think I can learn from the examples of others, though I'm aware this isn't possible for everyone to accomplish." Another flash of a smirk at him suggested teasingly that she might consider him in this second catagory. She completely circumvented his unclear response to her sharing her own foibles by not addressing it at all.
This was a complete anomaly to her... a stallion who liked to talk theory without getting all in a huff that she had her own ideas. At least, he didn't get visibly worked up. Pointless explosions of emotion irritated her. it was wasted effort for very little if any positive result. She was very much not without her own displays of emotion and feeling, but she preferred to keep them demure and under control, and expression not an explosion. Meeting someone who had mastered that art further than herself was a pleasant surprise. To his brief introduction, she nodded her head once. "Damara," she replied as succiently.
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:51 pm
Contrary the popular opinion, there was nothing absent-minded in any of Louie's gestures. A non-demonstrative stallion as a rule, he'd long since grown out of the childish habits of gnawing at his lip, flicking his tail, or playing with his mane. On the contrary, whenever he indulged in one of those little actions it was with the full knowledge of what he was doing, usually done with the intent of either confusing or clarifying something for the Soquili he was talking to (more often the former than the latter). Still, it would have been gratifying to know that it was being pegged up to absent-mindedness; all the more material to work with.
Continuing to twirl the braid, his response to the mare's wordy response was a bit clipped. "The former, of course. Can't say I've ever subscribed the the mindset that I, as a mortal, am flawed and consequently need to exorcise my faults. I've got them, but what they are, how they manifest, and who they annoy is nothing off my nose. I've been told that the aforementioned habits are grating, though, and who am I to argue with Public Opinion?"
This was said in the same bland manner, but with the barest hint of facetiousness. If this mare was as smart as she seemed, she'd likely pick up on it, but it was still too early in the conversation to give her any real credit for anything besides tenacity and at least a basic grasp of common sense. Still, shed already made it longer in a conversation with him than most, which was something! He'd play a little longer. "After all, we're all supposed to conform, right?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:49 pm
Ignoring the off-hand braid twirling, she focused on his wording. He certainly was quite irracible, but he had a point. She remained silent, considering his words, inserting a sort at his sarcastic question about conforming. She dismissed that out of hand, never having been one to conform to much of anything aside from her own sense of self.
But was that not what he was defending? His right to be himself? Ahh, but he had also mocked her being herself. She stood, staring off into space intently, inner gears working. After several minutes, she slowly asked, her tone neither accusatory nor mocking, "I certainly cannot argue the right to be yourself..." Another pause as she concentrated on how best to word it. "But if that is so, why question the wisdom of my assisting another creature?" She turned luminescent eyes on him. The stag that had originally started this in-depth conversation was long gone, having finally manuevered free with the slack he'd been given.
She regarded him seriously. "I can understand all your arguments, but it comes down to whether you equally apply things to others as you do yourself." She paused again, tipping her head, eyes narrowing. "Of course, my acceptance of you in no means binds you to accept me. I suppose it's fair then that you'd rather mock than inquire." She gave a sudden, fluid shrug. "I don't know why you chose to discuss this with me, but I can tell you that I've chosen to talk with you because I wish to understand. Which I do now."
And she did, at least somewhat. It was still rather a tangley mess, but she was growing accustomed to his point of view, which tended to be largely cynical and critical. But had she not been doing the same in return? Though their personailites were vastly different, their approach to things tended to follow the same path. With a snort, a corner of her mouth quirked. "I like you. You are twisty."
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:04 pm
"Why not?"
Two words, but in those two words Louie managed to toss out the summation of his entire opinion. Why WOULDN'T he question the wisdom of someone else's action, or inaction, or thought process or meal choice or choice of conversation topic? Disagreeing always provoked reactions, and it was reactions that he enjoyed so very much. In this case, he'd originally been after the struggle of the buck in the netting; failing that, he'd gone for the mare's sense of purpose. Tit for tat; she'd stolen his amusement, she would provide new!
It drove his sisters up a wall, especially Rosa. She had never appreciated the way that he liked to needle and the way he always said whatever he felt like; Betina had been more understanding, but had felt compelled to try and 'help him overcome'. He loved his sisters, he really did, but they tended to inspire alternate feelings of amusement and frustration. It was no wonder he felt compelled to go out and get time away from his siblings, all things considered!
But at the moment, he was enjoying himself a great deal, even if he didn't necessarily look it. He liked this mare, and at her sudden comment that she liked him, he gave a short laugh. "Twisty, huh? Well, I like you too; you're much less pathetic than the Soquili I usually meet."
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:21 pm
Wny not indeed. That simplistic and sassy retort was both comical and exasperating. Twisty was definitely a good adjective for this stallion. But when he reacted to her concluding remark, it was her turn for her brows to rise. Why... was that a reaction she spied?! Perhaps this stallion wasn't as bland and colorless as he tried to appear!
"Pathetic, you say?" Her expression was a cross between a smirk and speculation. "I'll open that can of worms. Tell me, how are most Soquiil pathetic in your eyes?" She cocked a hip again and lightly swung her tail to dislodge some irritatin insect. The day had begun waning towards evening while they talked, sunlight angling now sharply between the trees. The frogs were tuning up for their chorus, and the bugs were coming out in force.
What a difference in personality this male was compared to the few she'd deigned to spend more than a moment with. He took little for granted, and challenged her mind without making it a match of strength or speed. They 'battled' not in the physical realm, but in the mental. It was refreshing to say the least. Too many she'd met, male or female, were dull of wit and slow of thought. They rarely looked beyond their own noses, metaphorically speaking. Their life was grazing and making babies, or fighting and vying for dominance. She found the one mundane and the other distasteful. There were higher things in life than bodily functions and muscular prowess.
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:31 pm
"Oh, so you're a brave one, huh? Ready and willing to take on the big bad world in the form of a judgemental stallion, imperfect and questionable as he may be?" At that, Louie broke form, straightening up and folding his wings over his back, leaning close to the mare and very clearly enunciating, "Boring."
Boring, perhaps the greatest curse that Louie could ever inflict on anyone. Posturing and preening, flirting and chattering about the weather, he/said/she said, it was all wildly, insanely, detestably dull. It was no wonder he'd started needling at a young age, it was the only way he could get any entertainment out of society.
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Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:42 pm
She gave him an odd look. Apparently she hadn't been clear. "Take on the world? What exactly are you referring to?" Her ears flickered and she blew faintly through her nostrils, just short of a snort. "You assume I disagree with you on the 'pathetic' assessment." She arched a single brow at him, unsure whether to smirk or frown. "I happen to consider most soquili rather predictable, often mundane, and rarely intelligent enough to carry on such a conversation with." She tossed her head, her thick mane swinging only slightly. "Pardon me if having a similar perspective as you qualifies as boring." Her tone spoke volumes of how little pardon she actually sought.
"I might not use the word pathetic myself, but I was merely curious as to what you percieved to be 'pathetic'." She did indeed snort now, stomping a hoof lightly for emphasis. "I could hardly stop you from dawdling off now in a huff because I didn't react like you wanted, but I can protest you doing so on a faulty presumption." She gave a low whicker of a laugh, a tinge of mocking in it. "I'd hardly call you a representative of the 'big bad world' at any rate." Shooting him an amused look, she snatched a mouthful of grass, since her stomach was beginning to protest loudly that it had not been fed recently. Let Louie make of her what he would.
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