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 Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:28 pm
 Was it so hard to ask that someone notice her?! Did she have to roll in mud so that she stank to go along with her disgusting appearance? What did a mare have to do to have people look at her and appreciate her?! Retinadeath had already tried killing some worthless stallion--though that was mostly because he was a friend of that goody two-shoes Sepaia. Why can't we have some full on pitched battles already? Sunflare's a herd of saps. The only decent fighters are my idiot cousin and her goons. We could overwhelm them in seconds! What is taking Moloch so long?!
She knew that wasn't fair. She knew right off that wasn't fair. Moloch was her ticket to fame and glory, and she would never jeopardize that. And even an untrained star could be deadly if it had buddies. The simple fact of the matter is that we're outnumbered two or three to one. I still wish we could fight, though. The sooner we fight, the sooner I get some actual respect. And that's what I'm here for--for respect. And to make a name for myself.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:40 pm
Unfortunately for the hotheaded lyra mare known as Retinadeath, life was about to get a lot more aggravating for the near future. The Lord of Mischief and Mayhem had been watching her since she headed off to pick a fight with one of the Sunflare stallions, and this easy-to-annoy amazon was a fruit right for the picking. As usual, he just needed to play his cards right.
Strolling out from behind a tree, Plamen von Hoelle, known only as Plamen to almost every Star in existence, picked up his feet jauntily, belying the cold heartlessness in his deep green eyes. "Evening there. Nice number you did on that Arcturus," he added smoothly. Plamen was painfully aware that his best asset was in trickery, cleverness, and deceit, since between the two Starborns in the Shadow Herd, Plamen was the only really normal one. Pandora was a ghostly one; Retinadeath could fly, since she was a lyra; Kalida Kaushal...oh, Signs, she scared the life out of even Plamen von Hoelle, since she had to be one of the most evil solara he'd ever met; and Vidar, Avantasia, Moloch, and Moloch's four children were arcturai, so could run him through with hardly a second thought.
Plamen wasn't stupid, but he was probably the cockiest devil Moloch could find, cocky enough to try to get away with periodically backstabbing the Dark Lord himself, just to stay in practice.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:47 pm
This joker looked familiar. What was his name again? She was certain someone had mentioned it when she joined the herd... "Thanks, Lamen, was it?" she said casually. "Eh, it was nothing. Just something to do out of boredom. Got to keep in practice. You know how that is, don't you?" She flicked her head, sending her shades flying in the air to land over her eyes.
What did she know about this stallion...? Well, hardly anything, except he was probably the most normal and, well, not to put too fine a point on it, boring stallion in the herd. There was nothing wrong with being just a starborn, but compared to everyone else in the Shadow Herd, he was probably the most tame. He's safe, then. Surely it wouldn't hurt me to get near him, would it? She had no idea what would happen, but par for the course on her behalf. She had always gotten herself into trouble, and this would be no exception to the rule. She walked over to the stallion, stretching her wings out to look bigger and more intimidating.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:54 pm
While Plamen von Hoelle looked the least intimidating, the only ones even partly scarier than Plamen were actually Moloch (debatable) and Kalida Kaushal (indubitably). Plamen grinned lazily. She should know her herdmates' names better, but if she couldn't call him correctly, it would be easier to walk away once he'd played his dirty little trick.
Boredom? Oh, he knew that, quite well...and this mare could relieve it. "Boredom? Oh, yes, quite well," he said with a chuckle that never reached his empty green eyes. He wasn't the least bit intimidated by her show of her wingspan. "Looks like you worked up a sweat," he said in his low, sexy voice. "There's a nice river to bathe in back the way I came, just the right spot for two, if you'd like a bath," he added.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:03 pm
If all of life were a movie watched by two robots and a human an audience, it would be at this point that some sadistic member of the audience would shout at the metaphorical screen, "OH COME ON, TRY HARDER THAN THAT!" The another member of the audience says, "Teehee, harder."
Retinadeath knew quite a few things about quite a few different subjects, but the world of romance and seduction was as alien to her as a cheeseburger to a microscope bathing was to an insane monk. "I'm not that sweaty," she objected, folding her wings back towards her torso. She sniffed delicately at one, then shook out her mane. "I can find a place to bathe myself. I know a few places."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:11 pm
Hmmm. This level of density would make him work harder. Plamen grinned inwardly. She definitely wouldn't bore him too much at this stage of the game. Outwardly, he grinned in a way that made all but the most skilled tempters and temptresses go weak at the knees.
"Ahhh, but if I show you to it, then I'll have saved you the trouble of looking for one yourself? After all, it's the duty of all stallions to help out their herdmates, especially such a bright and lovely one as yourself," he added, layering on a more obvious pick-up line, in case she didn't get the earlier hints he was dropping. If he had to go straight to the stupid pick-up lines, he was going to dump this crap and go break someone else's heart.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:50 pm
"Hm, when you put it like that, I suppose it would be convenient for you to show me to the place." Retinadeath sighed and tossed her mane again. Lamen was sure acting strange--since when did a herdmate have to help out another? I guess he's just a helpful, "nice" stallion. Boy, is he messing with the wrong mare. Oh, the unintentional irony.
Before she could thank him, he said it. Inwardly she raged--how dare he?! How dare he?! What did he want that he was willing to lie to her so viciously?! May all stars who call me that collapse into black holes! How dare he?!--but outwardly she merely sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're a terrible liar," she snapped. "Bright is bright, and I'm certainly that in color if nothing else, but don't waste false words on me. Call me 'beautiful,' or 'pretty,' or 'gorgeous,' or 'lovely' again and I'll start calling you 'Lamina, Most Sincere Mare That Ever Did Live.' Those words don't match you, and neither to compliments to my appearance. I, sir, am ugly, and none of your words will convince me otherwise." She sighed again. "Lead me to the watering hole."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:02 pm
Hoo boy, this was a tough nut to crack, but if she wasn't, it wouldn't be as fun. "Really? Something must've been wrong with their eyes, or they must've been ogling goddesses in heat," he said, playing up the critical tone. "Really, Stars who only have their mind on getting foals out of sexy partners are pathetic," he said, honest for once. After all, Plamen von Hoelle didn't get a mare preggorz unless it was one of his little games...or the one getting knocked up scared him to death. "There should be some reason other than sex or physical attraction for getting foals related to one's partner, though sex and physical attraction do certainly help."
Strolling closer, he turned around to lead her to the water. "I don't use "attractive" all that often when talking about a mare." Not a lie, either. He usually used "gullible" and "vulnerable." "Besides, bright can be a lovely thing, and as for flames," he shot her a calculating burning look, "I personally find fire the most attractive element of all." Also true; after all, there was nothing more fun than playing with fire, except an inferno, and the only reason he'd hang around an inferno is if there was no escape. By this definition, Kalida would be an inferno; this little girl he was soullessly flirting with was just a little campfire right now. He figured in the back of his mind that she might be a forest fire when this was all done, but that would be all the more interesting.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:16 pm
...Yeah, he's a sap alright. Stallion talking about something other than sex? Oh, please, how did he join this herd? Did Madame Spiky threaten to beat him if he didn't join the herd? What is he, some sort of mama's colt trying to stay here? "Interesting view on relationships," Retinadeath replied. "So, Mr. Sensible, have you got a mare with pretty words like that?
"Neatly disguised, but a compliment on appearance is still a compliment on appearance, Lamina," she added scathingly. "Bright's only beautiful when it doesn't clash with the rest of the coat. I clash, therefore, I'm ugly. Nothing can change that. Fire's nice, though. Very destructive, and there's a sort of manic beauty in destruction, but it's not the same sort of beauty as in Stars." She chuckled. "Look at me, talking about beauty. I haven't seen real beauty since I was a foal. It's not my thing. I'd rather be known for my deeds and actions than for the way I look. Anyone would if they looked the way I do." She fell silent as they approached the water, and without another word, she waded into the pool.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:28 pm
So flattery didn't work in the conventional sense. "Fire is very beautiful and comes in many varieties. Fire is at the heart of any Star that is not a complete pansy." He stepped into the water. "And no one in Moloch's herd is a pansy in the least, unless there's someone more fatal than they are leaning on them."
He settled into the icy stream, still cold from snowmelt. "Since I find fire very attractive, and everyone in this herd has fire to them, everyone's got their own attraction to them." He glanced upwards, shooting a burning smile that never reached his eyes. "Maybe I have caught mares like that, maybe I haven't, but those I talk to always have fire. What can I say? I'm like a moth drawn to a flame." What he didn't say was that if he was a moth, he was a moth made purely of the fire of a forest fire, and brought that level of destruction to the hearts he touched.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:36 am
Retinadeath spread out her wings in reaction to the icy temperatures of the pool. Snowmelt, of course, it had, after all, only been winter a few weeks before. The water wasn't the only cold thing; the sky was an icy blue, and there was ice in the stallion's eyes. What little trust she had melted away, and it didn't help when he waded into the water as well. He never said anything about wanting to take a bath. What is he playing at? Is he trying to breed with me?
"Those are pretty words," she said absently. "I'd think that someone like Kalida would be a brighter flame, though. More destructive at least. Why aren't you bothering with her? Or are you just too chicken to try?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 12:28 pm
"Even moths aren't that stupid," he said smoothly. "And no moth will dance with hellfire, which is what Kalida Kaushal is. A moth should know when a flame is fatal, and she's the fatal flame." Not honest at all. Kalida scared Plamen von Hoelle a bit, but she also fascinated him beyond all measure, in a masochistic way. If she allowed him to give her foals, he didn't care what she did to him.
He moved slowly through the water, due to the icy cold. Plamen rather liked the icy cold, too, but he was bizarre like that. "Would you like me to give you a scratch? Sweat always leaves one itchy, I find, and a good scratch relieves the itching."
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:06 pm
"And I suppose I'm not," Retinadeath said sourly. It wasn't that she was annoyed that he hadn't complimented her; it was just that he had reminded her of her current state: ally-less and without any sort of power. I at least want to make it to "simpering minion, first class"--what do I have to do?! Do I have to outright kill someone? Because I will! If I have to, I will find that stupid stallion again, and this time, he won't be able to just limp away. Next time we meet, minty-fresh, you will never run again. She shook her head and flashed him a false smile. "I suppose I'll have to change that. Give me a few months, and I promise you, I'll be a flame too hot to dance with again."
She shrugged her wings, ducking under the water to get herself entirely wet before bobbing back up. "Sure, I guess. Do you want me to give you a scratch, too?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:36 pm
As he reached over to scratch her, he heard her comment about becoming an inferno. Plamen von Hoelle grinned like a sentient and malicious volcano given the option to wipe out an entire city state. With her already quick temper, she might be an even more entertaining inferno once this game was over. As for a scratch...
"That would be most helpful," he said, honestly. Interesting. This potential piece of hellfire was causing him to be honest. He'd have to be careful and see if he could continue to maneuver her in the future. Hmmm. It might actually be better to keep her around as his unwitting minion, always too innocent to realize that he was using her as a shield while he played his games. Well, it would remain to be seen what should be done, maybe whisper in her ear to cause a little mayhem from time to time and watch her anger shred someone....
As he pondered this, he scratched her with his teeth, being careful to try to find her sweet spot so she might become putty in his hooves.
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:49 pm
Retinadeath made sounds of pleasure as Lamen...that was his name, wasn't it?...scratched her sweet spot with his teeth. Camaraderie. Had she ever felt it before? A kinship with another star, exchanging favor for favor? Well, no. And she still didn't feel kinship. She was, however, starting to relax and let her guard down. This stallion was harmless enough. I can't trust him, but I guess I don't have to feel antagonistic towards him. Maybe I can even feel better than him someday instead of inferior. We'll see, though. An ally would be appreciated, but I need to pick one wisely. My first one should be a strong supporter...
"Mm, that's the spot," she murmured. "Right there. Oh, yes, that feels good!" She stretched out her wings once more, brushing the stallion's chest with her wingtips.
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