Welcome to Gaia! ::

Roque had seen a lot of things in his not-very-long life. It came from the fact that his family probably counted as odd. It was all just the usual hustle and bustle through the caves to him, but some other Soquili would probably have twitched an ear or maybe even run away.

They might, even, have run away from the mare by the water's edge if they came upon her unexpectedly, the way Roque did. Not so the striped stallion, who paused, took in the fact that she appeared to be moon bathing, and smiled a little before announcing himself. "Hope you don't mind if I get my hooves a little wet, myself," he called, stepping forward slowly, just in case she did.

He did step closer, lowering his head to the water at the edge of the pool so he could suck some up and quench the thirst that had been building for hours now.

That done, he lifted his head and shook it a bit to be rid of any moisture clinging to him. He licked a few stray drops off his lips then shifted again, adjusting the way his wings sat against his back.

"I don't think I've seen you around these parts before," Roque offered. "I'm Roque. What's your name?"

Roque had met more than one predator in his time and knew better than to lock eyes with one of them, so he kept his gaze very slightly averted, just in case, but he didn't twist his head to show vulnerable throat. He turned it so she could better see the design, but stayed calm and steady, breathing easy.

"Did you come from very far away?" he asked. "And am I interrupting your rest? I could go somewhere else. I'm just most familiar with this lake."

Roque laughed. "I'd make quite a meal, even if you'd gone without any food for a while. I didn't think you'd eat me, but I didn't want to offend." Since she'd noticed, he did her the courtesy of meeting her eye now.

"To be honest," he added after a moment, "I don't think I've seen anyone like you before."

Settled down? The comment threw him for a moment. He hadn't settled. He'd always been here. But then it made sense. If he hadn't seen another one of her kind before, it stood to reason that she hadn't seen anyone like him. And if she was a traveler, well, maybe she expected that everyone was the same.

"I was born here," he explained with a smile. "But my mother traveled, like you. She came from the mountains far away, she says, so I suppose she's the one who settled. This is a good place for it. Settling. These lands are safe enough."

Roque ducked his head at the compliment and half-hid his smile. "My mother is beautiful," he agreed. "Her wings sparkle with purple light, especially in the sunlight. My father's not the sparkling type, but he's handsome enough, I suppose. Father certainly thinks so."

One good question deserved another. "I hope it's not rude to ask, but...do your eyes always glow that way?"

Good to know. It was always good to know what was normal and not when dealing with a new creature, or a new Soquili, for that matter.

His eyebrows rose as he smiled and thought. "Well. That's sort of like asking what the weather's like in all the Soquili lands at the same time. It might be raining here and snowing somewhere else, but if I said there was a storm, that wouldn't quite be true, would it?" He shifted his weight, camping a back hook so his hip jutted into a rested position.

"Life around -here- is good, he finally answered. "Plenty to eat, lots of things to keep us busy. Sometimes too much, I suppose, depending on your point of view. Looking for some kind of life in particular or just someplace to ...be?"