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 Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:28 am
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:37 pm
Kintori had gone off some time ago, not yet returning to their little patch of forest. It wasn't exactly unusual for her, but with recent events - the other mare in their little heard being absurdly pregnant - it was a tad strange. And so, Nefertem set off to find her.
Earlier, he had spent some time wandering through the woods. She didn't turn up. He'd stop to shake the twigs and leaves from his rather voluminous mane, and continued on. Now he was facing some grasslands that he knew rather well. He didn't see anything, but she had to be around here somewhere - he was sure of it. Although she enjoyed wandering, she never seemed to get too far.
Trotting forward, Nefertem noticed a pond up ahead. Standing right by that pond the stallion noticed a gleaming, golden mare. Now, one thing you have to recognize about Nef is that his eyesight isn't great. He's a wonderful listener, all around great guy - but his eyesight is poor where distances were concerned and, well, he didn't really pay that much attention to things. And so, it made a lot of sense in that moment that he thought the mare up ahead was his dear friend Kintori.
Nef broke out into a smile. Finally! Picking up a canter, he strode up behind the mare, nickering. "I have been looking all over for you! I'm pretty sure Kipenzi's going to burst at any minute and I don't think I'm equipped for handling a birthing mare without you." He chuckled and shook his head. "If you're running away from that situation, I don't blame you - but I'm here to drag you back."
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2016 10:06 pm
Startled out of her reverie of thought by a male voice, Khepri blinked in surprise as a stallion she'd never met before walked up to her acting familiar. Annoyed, she couldn't help herself. "Excuse me, I'm sorry, but, do I know you? And who is KIpenzi and what in the world are you talking about?" Khepri had never had a single stallion "look" for her, so she knew for a fact that this particular stallion most certainly was not looking for someone like her. With her sharp tongue and sarcastic, selfish attitude, most stallions strayed from her. She did her best to pretend, oh how she had tried, but it was impossible to keep herself from sounding mean when she wasn't truly a mean-spirited mare.
Unlike most Soquili who would have kindly explained the mistake, Khepri just had to verbally abuse strangers. Well, it wasn't as if she was in the best of moods. She was lonely, her mother was hurting, her brother and sisters all missing--well, except for Ming Xifeng, but Ming was in her own little world with her new mate--but honestly Khepri had no idea what had happened to her family of golden Soquili. They had scattered to the winds, though perhaps that was a trait they'd all picked up from their father. She sighed silently to herself before observing the stallion before her. He was by no means an ugly creature--in fact quite the opposite she'd dare say--but Khepri had no idea how to handle stallions anymore. She used to flirt incessantly with them but after being rejected over and over she gave in.
She tossed her head in a huff. "Whoever you're looking for, she's certainly not me. I doubt you would have forgotten a beautiful creature such as myself." She turned away. "Well, now that you know you've made a mistake, perhaps you ought to be on your way." She could hear her inner voice screaming at her, but she ignored it. She was used to being alone and being lonely, and would never admit it was nice to have company--be it stallion or mare or anything at all.
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:37 pm
The second the mare turned around, Nefertem recognized his mistake. But oh, what a wonderful mistake to make.
The stallion wanted to take time to revel in the beauty of the mare before him, but he didn't have a chance, for she immediately, scathingly rebuked him for his fault. Involuntarily, his ears pinned in shame, but he stood his ground, otherwise level. Once she was finished with her tirade, Nefertem extended one hoof forward and dipped into a bow. "My apologies, you are quite correct - now that I have had the honor of gazing upon you, I truly shall not deign to forget your image." Raising back up, his eyes finally took the opportunity to really take in her image.
She was, honestly, quite stunning. Her entire being seemed to glow a brilliant gold - he couldn't tell if it was due to how shiny her coat was, or simply her personality. He supposed it an odd mixture of both. Some of the coloration, he decided, was definitively what lead to his mistaking her for his friend. A silly slip-up, but a pleasant one nonetheless. "Again, I apologize for the inconvenience; I was simply looking for my friend Kintori. Our herd mate Kipenzi is due to foal soon and I would really rather have someone around who is familiar with the process, if you know what I mean." Nef chuckled to himself a bit. Secretly, he was hoping the foals would help cheer Kintori up - he knew how she regretted abandoning her own and was sure that she would, to some extent, enjoy having little ones around now. "Anyway, it really was a silly mistake - now that I know the brilliance of your beauty I am sure that I will not make it again. I suppose I shall leave you to your business now, if you so desire." He dipped his head respectfully once more, figuring she'd want to be rid of him as soon as possible. And he didn't blame her, really. Kintori was a pretty mare, sure, but he had never laid eyes on someone of the likes of the creature standing before him.
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Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:26 pm
Khepri blinked at the stallion, shock coloring her expression. Wait, wait, wait... huh? Confused, she took in the stallion's suave way of responding to her, and clearing her throat. When he mentioned Kintori, she couldn't help herself. "You know Kintori? My sister? How is she? I haven't seen my little sister in a long time." Realizing her mistake, Khepri turned away, trying to hide the slight pink of her embarrassment. "Well, since you know my sister, I can forgive you. And what, pray tell, did you say your name was?" She turned back to look at him and truly took in his appearance this time.
Colorful scales lined his back and fell into an exquisite if interesting tail. His eyes took her by surprise, however. Are they... glowing? She wondered to herself. Perhaps it was a trick of the light. His coloration was like that of a peaceful drifting cloud, pink as he was. "Yes, I quite understand what you mean," she agreed, a bit uncomfortably. She had never had foals and though she wished for it, her personality deterred any means of hope. Well, it didn't matter. It wasn't her fault she was so beautiful most stallions couldn't stand it. He had her attention now, more so because he knew her sister rather than anything else. "Since you know my sister, perhaps you can pass on a message to her. It is important, as it involves family."
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2016 9:45 am
When the mare referred to Kintori as her sister, Nefertem began to feel a little less stupid. At least there was an available excuse for his mistaking of her - the coloration did make sense, after all. But honestly, Kintori had failed to mention the presence of a family - he had no idea that she had siblings around. Idly, he wondered how many more were hiding outside of the forest, but that thought was quickly wiped away when she inquired as to his name. "I, uh... Nefertem," he eked out, stumbling a bit due to his whirlwind train of thought. "Lovely to make your acquaintance...?" His words trailed off, hoping to prompt her for her own name. Sure, having a specific sister to reference to Kintori could be useful, but also he wanted it for selfish reasons. If she happened to disappear, he wanted some small way to help him seek her out again.
Nefertem could feel the mare's eyes raking him over and shrugged it off. He had a pleasing but unusual appearance; it wasn't all that uncommon for him to come under scrutiny. He only hoped what she saw pleased her eye. At her inquiry, Nef bowed his head once more. "Yes, of course, anything for you." He smiled, only slightly - the one of her voice seemed to betray that the matter she wanted to discuss was a bit on the serious side. He didn't want to come off as if he was treating it lightly.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 10:19 am
Khepri tilted her head slightly in confusion. This stallion was so different from other stallions she had met that she found herself unsure how to react. "Please let Kintori know that our father is... Ah, gone," she hesitated, and then, "Or perhaps it shall be easier for me to meet her. Since you seem so willing, Nerfertem, perhaps you can lead me to my dear sister." What was wrong with her? Normally, Khepri would just leave the stallion she spoke with behind; her days of flirting were gone. Okay, so maybe, far, deep inside her heart, she had the tiniest inkling of like for Nefertem. But for the time being she completely denied it and refused to look further into the depths of her odd emotions. Nefertem was far too a... She stopped her train of thought right there.
Khepri sighed to herself. She was being an idiot. Straightening herself up so she could meet the much taller stallion in the eye, she smiled a little. This was going to take far too much effort, but she had to. "So, Nefertem... How do you know my sister? I'm hurt she never mentioned her family. Are you and she... Mates?" Khepri's sisters all easily found mates so much easier than she had--Ming Xifeng mentioned in a droll conversation one day that it was because of her personality. It kept all others at bay except family, who knew her well. Khepri remembered arguing with her brightly-colored sister that that couldn't be the case, but there was proof as all stallions she met with all eventually left her behind for a nicer mare. Certainly, none such mares were more beautiful than she, but because of her selfishness and often times her arrogance... She mentally shook her head. Her self-confidence was not shaken.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 11:20 am
Nefertem grimaced a bit at the news. He had never had family, but he could imagine the event to be quite traumatic. What was it like to have your parents happy and together for years of your life, only to have them suddenly part? He couldn't imagine it to be easy. "I'm sorry to hear that," he spoke softly. At the mare's suggestion, Nef quickly nodded. "Of course; I'd take any excuse to accompany you where I can." Another soft smile directed towards her. Grieving the disappearance of her father or not, Nefertem wouldn't miss out on a chance to charm the lady if he could.
With her next question, Nefertem inadvertently burst out laughing. After some time, the chuckling toned down. "Oh, gods," he breathed out. His eyes, normally alight, seemed even brighter at the inquiry he essentially took as a joke. "I love Kintori to bits, I do, but we're nothing more than friends. I suspect I'm just someone to listen to her problems until she does find a mate to hold that place in her life... but for now I just follow her around and listen to her complain, really." He shrugged, realizing it may have sounded as if he was criticizing the mare's sister. "It's not a terribly bad way to spend my days," he explained. "Besides, it has led me to you," Nefertem added with a quick wink in her direction. Truth be told, he didn't know whether or not the mare before him was single, but he didn't much care - she seemed warm enough to his advances that he'd venture to guess that she was free. Only more time with her would tell the truth, he supposed, as he really couldn't think of a crafty way to ask her himself.
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 9:38 pm
She managed to keep her expression neutral when Nefertem gave her a parting shot she thought she would never hear. Is he... flirting... with me...? Khepri felt an indescrible feeling. She didn't want to take a closer look at what that feeling was, so she cleared her throat. "Many thanks for your condolences," she accepted his words. "I know my mother would appreciate seeing Kintori again. She needs some of her children around her, besides myself, that is."
And then suddenly he was laughing. His laugh is charming... She swatted the thought away before it could bury itself in her conscious. "I suppose... I suppose I'm not used to the idea of friends," she said cautiously, reflecting on Nefertem's words. "I assumed you had to be her mate, since you're searching for her." However, something bothered her a great deal, and Khepri let it slip. "But it's so strange," she mused, after his laughter had died down. "And quite unfair to someone like you. Why is Kintori using...?" she trailed off. What was she trying to get at? It shouldn't matter to her whatsoever how Kintori and Nefertem hung about together.
His compliments wiggled slowly inside of her. "You're right; how could a stallion not be attracted to someone like me?" she allowed an amused giggle to escape her. Where had her mind gone? He was right, of course. She smiled beatifically at him. "You seem the perfect one to be an escort. So, please lead the way. And perhaps, I, too, can be of some help in some way." Khepri eyed Nefertem in a slightly new light. He was trying, she could tell somewhat. She didn't have to let his charms work their way into her heart. She didn't want to be hurt again. But maybe... And maybe is how I got hurt in the first place! Khepri didn't want to take the risk. Her tone grew slightly colder. "Yes, I'm honored to have met you as well."
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Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 3:06 pm
At her next statement, Nefertem nodded solemnly. Once again, he mulled over what it must be like to have a family - to have others counting on you, worrying about you at a constant. Then again, Kintori didn't seem too concerned about hers, but she was a rather selfish mare. Her sister before him, although he could detect many similar traits between her and Kintori, did not seem to have that same egocentric strain - at least not prominently.
Nef laughed once again. "It's really not all that strange - mares and stallions work it out as friends all the time! I think..." His brow furrowed for a moment, realizing he was pulling that statement out of his a**. He really didn't know enough others to back that up, but he moved on anyway. "And she really isn't using me; I do enjoy her company. When she isn't moaning about life, I've found Kintori to be a pretty nice mare to be around, always trying to explore and whatnot. It's not bad at all, I promise. But I appreciate your concern." The corner of the stallion's mouth turned up at the last bit, teasing her for mulling over the topic.
The next words out of her mouth drew yet another chuckle out of Nefertem's throat. It was obvious this batch of mares was rather spoiled - it seemed they all had rivers of confidence flowing from within. Not that that was a bad thing. In Kintori it could come off as annoying, but something about the way Khepri presented herself made it almost charming. Swishing his tail, Nef spoke, "Oh, while I would love to escort you now, we come back to the issue of the fact that, well, I have no idea where she is. But I would love your help, if you'd be ever so kind, in locating her. I'm sure your eyesight is a touch better than mine," he added with a sloppy grin. Not that bad eyesight was the worst trait one could have - especially when it lead them to such beautiful places.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:12 pm
"Well, if I know my sister at all, which... I don't, actually, since she left our family herd..." Khepri blinked at the heart-stopping grin Nefertem dropped at her. It was heart-felt, albeit goofy, but she couldn't help feeling charmed by it. What a lovely smile... Feeling distracted, Khepri forced herself to look away in a random direction. Her golden eyes shimmered slightly with a foreign emotion as she indicated the random direction. "So, shall we start walking in this direction? The thing is, Kintori can fly and I... cannot. She and perhaps my other brother are the only ones with wings in our family; they're quite lucky to inherit the wind trait from our mother."
Khepri hoped her stumble wasn't noticeable. Every time she thought about Shimshek, she could only wonder how her mother felt. Did Shimshek feel abandoned? She certainly felt loss. It had been many, many seasons since they last saw Taiyaung, their father. He was an ever wandering unicorn, however, one of few unique stallions to see past the facade they all selfishly put up. Khepri had mellowed out as the seasons passed and she despaired of ever finding a mate, let alone having friends. She was a loner in every sense of the word... even here, next to Nefertem, Khepri felt slightly distanced. He was her sister's best friend... and she had none. Even Ming Xifeng, her closest sister, had friends, and even had a mate.
Khepri managed to fight the grimace off her face. No, no, no. Beautiful ladies did not grimace and groan. They might think it, they may internally whine, but they should never show. She managed a slight smile in Nefertem's direction. "Isn't it rather strange, though, that you wandered out this far looking for my sister? We look similar, of course, but I like to think I'm far more... golden colored... than she. Kintori is almost an exact replica of our dear mother, you understand." Khepri internally winced. She was absolutely terrible at small talk. Well, and she had nothing else to talk about. Somehow, Khepri felt more hallow than when she first met Nefertem in those earlier moments.
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