[FIN] The Autumnal Equinox Festival (Ends 9/30)

[Faithofthefallen]

The nights were growing longer and the leaves had begun to show the first glimmers of color. The breezes swirling through the herd lands had developed a chill bite and the soil was growing cold and dormant.
The earth was dying a little more each day. And yet, the slow descent into darkness was a time of celebration for the Sinclair family, who felt a deep connection to the darkest aspect of the year.

Almost every member of Vincento's family had some shred of darkness tugging at their soul. Whether they heeded that shred or not, now was a time to celebrate the pieces of themselves that were not always comforting, that were sometimes outright terrifying. To strive for balance within their spirit and reflect on the aspects of themselves that yearned for destruction and darkness, to dance with their own shadows, as it were, while the world itself goes dark until spring.

For the darker parts of the spirit are what make the light possible. Without night, without pain, rage, and death, there is no day, no pleasure, no happiness or life. Darkness brings dimension and depth to this existence. Those were the Sinclair herd's teachings.

It was a time to give thanks to three goddesses. They honored the dark aspect of the mother goddess, the crone, with alters filled with candles, baskets of black, purple, and red flowers, stalks of wheat, and pomegranates broken open, staining the stones of the alters as red as blood. The herd also honored the Morríghan, their patron deity who determines who walks off of a battle field. The Raven goddess was honored with intricate martial pattern dances, bunches of raven feathers tied to the ankles of the participants. The beat of hooves and the beat of a large ceremonial drum setting the rhythm. For the goddess of the hunt, Vincento himself had hunted down a great stag, spilled its' blood in homage, and reverently placed the horns atop the alter in the main square of the highest terrace.

The celebration begins in the days leading up to the equinox as more and more of the herd filtered back to the herd lands to celebrate.

It was the first night. Vincent stood on the dais with Eva, his heir, at his right hand. Coquette, his general, on the left. Belle and Talisa had been here earlier, but his advisor and Ambassador had wandered off, along with their guards to mingle. Guards were necessary because Vincent had made the decision to allow some outsiders into this gathering, hoping to make connections with other herds. His youngest daughter was of an age to find a mate, and while she was heir to a distant kingdom, he didn't see why he shouldn't benefit from any connections she might make. Especially since finding a mate could make her less inclined to leave her family, he had agreed to Queen's terms regarding their daughter, he would not act to stop Talisa from leaving, but that didn't mean he couldn't work behind the scenes to convince her to choose to stay on her own.

He smiled as he spotted the Harvest King circulating through the crowd, the neighboring Harvest herd had stopped by to observe their celebration in a gesture of good will. Ignis was powerful and deadly in his own right, it was rare that he didn't get a whiff of nervousness when meeting someone new. But the stallion had nothing to be worried about, he had sheltered two of Vincent's own blood in his youth and helped his daughter in a time of crises, so the stallion and his family would always be welcome on his lands. Vincent's eyes narrowed, especially the Angeni's three lovely and gifted daughters.

Vincent bared his teeth, "Let the celebration begin" he roared over the crowd.
Drums began to beat their steady heartbeat through the land. Calling his family home.

Quote:

Anyone is welcome to participate, whether or not you are part of the herd. If you do not have a herd member, bear in mind ICly that your soq has been required to swear an oath to Vincento that you will do no harm while you're here before engaging in the celebration. Don't worry about being left out, if you post and indicate you want to participate, I'll make sure I bring you in.

In addition, unless you want to, pay no mind to any posts but the opener as you join, or any posts I or Spoof make in "shout" form. I know it gets overwhelming when a bunch of people have already posted, but you absolutely don't need to read everything thats happened to participate!

Here is the herd thread if you're interested in more of the background of the herd and a little more about the setting. You can also apply to join here if you're interested - you don't have to be related to the family to join the herd.

I am putting this here because Spoof and I feel like rping some Cleavers in the spooky months, but we're opening it up so anyone can basically come in, see the setting for some inspiration, and react/participate however they wish. This is just for fun, its not anything 'soq official.'

You are welcome and encouraged to interact with each other, but it is absolutely not necessary, Solo responses are fine! I know it can get messy and confusing doing that with ORPs when you don't have time to post a bunch. I myself am back in school so I totally get it and I might not be able to reply to everyone in a timely manner. You can participate with as many soq as you want.

If you are absolutely only here to post a solo and don't want other people to respond to you, please indicate that in some way.

I'm not sure how long we'll keep this open, but probably for at least a month or so. We might open up another one for Halloween, we'll see.

 

[belloblossom]

Lockes, if she was honest, was still trying to get used to the herd. She had been so relieved and surprised to find a group so accepting of one's inner darkness and since joining as a Guard, she had been happier than she'd ever been in a very long time.

Yet, she wasn't sure if she would ever get fully adjusted to the notion of speaking gracefully to another. Her social skills used to be fine, she knew how to make friends, but that was prior to her remembering the lives she'd taken. It had been easier to forget. While she hadn't killed for pleasure in several seasons, the memories were still there and the memories of what she did to others made her wary of getting close to anyone else.

So, she came to the festivities of her herd with the goal not to make friends or fumble through socializing, but to be on duty. After all, who would want to make friends with her, anyway? She may be apart of the herd and taken up the oath like everyone, but she was still new and still unfamiliar. She shuffled her front hooves, shifting her weight from side to side of her. She could get through this and make a good enough impression by guarding any she was tasked to. She just wasn't sure what would come next.

Grimm was not reserved or anxious. Grimm, as expected, was hungry. She had taken off into the crowd, her heavy, lengthy tail dragging behind her as she moved through the crowd. She could smell blood and where there was blood, there was food. Her bonded would just have to be on her own for a bit, because Grimm wouldn't return until she was full... and that might take a while.

Faithofthefallen

I'd like to note that while Lockes is uncertain of making friends, I'd still love her to meet and get to know anyone else who decides to come up to her! 3nodding

 

[Faithofthefallen]

The Autumnal Equinox had grown to be Belle's favorite festival throughout her years with the herd. At first, the celebration had seemed so foreign and primal, and yet from the very beginning it had spoken to her. She had raised two sets of children to adulthood within the herd, she had loved, and lost, and loved again. The Sinclair herd was her home, Vincent had earned her loyalty in every way that mattered, and she had been honored when he'd asked her to serve as a head on his council. She had started life as a prisoner, and escaped only to become ostracized for the things that made her different. Even then, she had refused to hide herself, even as she watched people exit her life in a steady stream. But she had known somewhere in her soul that she was not meant to walk this life alone. She had persisted, had found her family, and in the end she had found happiness, even after fearing at one point that the very capability had been leeched from her body. But Wisp was... Everything. He'd made her want to take life by the reins again. His existence was a burning ember in her chest that beat back the shadows.

The equinox was a time to look back on the past year, and on her past in general, to reflect on all the pains and successes as the single whole that made her who she was, and to look for ways to bring your entire self into balance. To become more of who you truly were. More than that, it was time to rest, to heal, and celebrate.

Despite the heavy darkness shrouding their mountain home, vast bonfires burned on every terrace to light the way to the celebration. Belle wore her blindfold to protect her sensitive eyes from the glare, and her darling companion Chime had retreated to the darkness of the deep forest surrounding them. She wished she could see faces, she knew there were many coming that she had not seen in an age. She had grown accustomed to walking with the blindfold, but never around so many people. She could feel her personal guard, Arobynn hovering near by. The stallion was young, had only just completed the training necessary to serve as a personal guard within the herdlands. She could practically feel him preening over the honor of escorting her through the square. Belle's mouth quivered but she persisted in maintaining a straight face. Little did he know that she could toss him on his behind with barely a thought. But, appearances mattered to her grandfather, so she must have a guard.

Belle felt what could best be described as a vibration in the air, and realized she had nearly walked straight in to someone in her musings. She tilted her head slightly, listening, and sniffed the air before smiling. "Hello Lockes" she chimed serenely, "This is your first equinox with us, is it not? What do you think?" She didn't know the mare well yet, but she had approved when her grandfather had decided to bring the young mare into the herd. She was strong, and beautiful,
but there was a pain in her that called to something in Belle. "I suppose Coquette has you on guard duty, you must make some time to enjoy yourself though, its a celebration after all. My sister needs to relax, between her and Grandfather, you'd think they were expecting an invading army to come to call"

Belle is open to interaction with anyone! Feel free to approach

belloblossom

Sorry if I double quoted you, I edited a grammar issue xD

 

[belloblossom]

Lockes looked up when she was addressed and bowed her head to the other mare, Jezabelle. Belle, as she had heard the mare often addressed as, was known to be a skilled warrior, something that Lockes admired within her. Yet, Lockes noticed, glancing behind her, there was a Guard accompanying her and nodded to Arobynn, her fellow Guard, as well.

"Greetings, Jezabelle." She addressed the other by her formal name, for she wasn't quite sure if they were on a casual name basis yet. That said, she tried her best to look more relaxed, a feat that was new to her, despite the safety of the setting. "It is indeed my first equinox within the herd. I must say, I've never quite seen a celebration of this size or... interest, yet." She'd seen Soquili who welcomed the harvest, but she couldn't help, but find more pleasure at the displays of the Sinclair Herd and her smile widened a touch. "I look forward to enjoying future celebrations with the herd too."

At the invitation to go and mingle, Lockes dipped her head.
"I will keep that in mind. Though I suspect my familiar, Grimm," She scanned the ground, but did not see the crimson gator. "Is likely socializing enough for both of us." She made a sound that could have been a laugh or a sigh. "Be sure to get a hold of what you'd like to eat for the evening's celebrations soon, else I fear she may eat all of it." She was only half joking too.

The gator was indeed snuffling around the ground and following the scent of blood. She was so increasingly hungry that she was ready to swallow whatever thing bumped into her next. She knew better than to go after Soquili whom were not already deceased to close to it, but it was driving her near to madness to smell blood and not see the source among all these long equine legs.

"Does anyone know where a gator can find a good meal around here?" She growled, unsure if anyone would look down to see her and answer her question or not.

Faithofthefallen

LydaLynn

Both Lockes and Grimm, her gator companion, are open to interaction if any of your Soq would like to introduce themselves!

 

[Kettyn]

Relic wasn't sure where everyone was at the moment. It was strange that even though in a herd one could easily lose track of family. Shaking his head the stallion counted his many blessings that had fallen into his lap and gave a good natured chuckle. The thought that he'd sired foals with a mare as lovely as Jessamine was beyond belief and yet he had proof in the form of Jezabelle, Sangria and their brother Lucian. Then, if it were not enough he had more children appear as gifts from the stars: Cosette and Coquette followed by their sister Colette. Relic grimaced; the name scheme was cute but he'd never allow it again. Passing through near the dais where Vincento and Evangeline stood Relic dipped his head in acknowledgement to the leader and his heir before glancing around for his sister. Just where was Psyche in all this hub-bub? She was missing out on a good reason to just relax. He was also keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of Jessamine. He knew that she liked to go off on her own sometimes and most of the time he accepted that. Without much preamble he continued to walk just past the dais before pausing. He'd not bother with searching for Psyche. She'd find him if she wanted to be in his company.


Cosette was trying to maintain an air of normality. It was hard to act normal in groups of this size. Cosette was forever having to watch where she walked lest she bump into anyone. The idea of having to continuously touch up her appearance was down right disheartening. Although believing that she'd grown out of that quirk Cosette realized with maturity that the quirk remained.
It meant that she spent as little time amongst others as she could socially get away with before putting in appearances when it was deemed necessary. Checking once more that her mane was as tidy as could be Cosette watched as her father paused near the dais to pay respects to their leader before walking onwards. Knowing that she needed to at least give a greeting to her grandfather to remain polite Cosette began to walk in that direction before spotting Jezabelle and an unfamiliar mare chatting with each other.

Cosette inched a little closer in order to try and hear what was being said. She was curious about all the newcomers that had come to the mountain valley.

Faithofthefallen

belloblossom

 

[Faithofthefallen]

This was her first Autumn equinox as a full fledged adult of the herd. Talisa flowed through the crowd like water, effortlessly squeezing through the breaks in the revelers, bobbing and weaving her way across those gathered towards the dancing circle. She was not really trying to confuse her escort, but if Ambros happened to lose her in the crowd she would shed no tears. She held no ill will towards Ambros himself, he was her dear companion, but she had been carefully watched over her entire life. The herd lands were supposed to be the one place she could wander without a guard, most of the people here were family or herd, she didn't see why Ambros tailing her like a baby duck was necessary.

She risked a quick peek behind her and deflated, the stoic warrior was easily matching her pace, she couldn't imagine how he was keeping up, although she supposed he cast an intimidating figure. Perhaps people were simply moving out of his way. The stallion caught her surreptitious glance and winked, making her laugh in spite of herself. Ambros had grown to become a friend as well as a guard, she stopped trying to shake him and slowed so he could relax as well.

Talisa stopped very close to the first circle of dancers, her eyes wide as she beheld Vidia running through an intense pattern dance, her hooves slapping the earth to the beat of the drum. Glossy black feathers tied to her ankles accentuated each movement, her tails flailed seemingly wildly, but Talisa knew each movement was carefully choreographed. A small blade was grasped in each whiplike tendril. She was death incarnate. The crowd around her stomped their hooves and swayed, the beat of the drums was an intoxicating invite to embrace the celebration. Talisa's eyes glowed. She had wanted to be a warrior as a foal, but it had been expressly forbidden. Heirs to thrones weren't allowed to risk themselves like that. Never mind that she'd never been to the country she was to rule in her life. Still, to move like that....

She glanced around and caught the eye of Ignis, she offered him a small smile, but her eyes revealed nothing. The Harvest King and members of his herd were here because of her work, she served as Ambassador for the Sinclair herd, it allowed her to both see the world and practice her political skills. Her father had been pleased when she'd been able to reveal the connection between Ignis, Jessamine, and Belle, an alliance had been swiftly formed.

Talisa refocused on the dancers, her body swaying unconsciously with the rhythm.

Quote:

Talisa is open to interaction - feel free to approach her!

 

[Faithofthefallen]

Belle let loose a cascade of laughter, "Call me Belle, please, I'm not one for formalities. You grow used to all of this, I promise. I didn't grow up with the herd either. My first autumn equinox was a lot to take in.. She glanced around at the revelers, her eyes crinkling with warmth as she recalled their first celebration. It had been a lot smaller, only her very immediate family, the first makings of the herd. Belle's first children had been young though, and their wide eyed wonder had been contagious even to the adults. Her heart squeezed quickly at the thought of Claudette, as it always did, she released a long breath and forced herself to let go of that sharp pain. The sorrow would always be there, but she couldn't allow herself to walk around in perpetual misery, and she wanted to remember the happy times with her daughter without risking spiraling into despair. Practice makes perfect.

Belle turned her head and smiled in welcome as she spotted Cosette approaching. She caught a glimpse of their father as well, and made a note to say hello at some point. Everyone adored her three younger sisters, gifts from the stars themselves. As the young mare inched closer, Belle scooched over to make room and leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek, "Happy equinox, sister, you look lovely as always. Have you met Lockes?"

Jezabelle turned back to Lockes and laughed again, "I'll keep that in mind! Darling Grimm, I so enjoyed watching the crowd's faces when they looked down and realized a gator was the one jostling them to the side. Especially the Harvest King, Ignis, I don't think he quite knows what to make of us. However did the pair of you meet? I don't think I've ever encountered any other gators in these parts"

She tilted her head and leaned in with interest

belloblossom

Kettyn

 

[Faithofthefallen]

Lost in the heartbeat of the celebration, Talisa's ears perked up when a truly lovely voice floated above the booming resonance.

Her head turned and she nudged Ambros to do the same. She beheld the clawed mare with much interest. She'd spent a long time with Belle the night before the celebration going over the various family lines they were aware of. Belle, technically her niece, although she'd walked this earth much longer than Talisa, was somewhat of an expert. Of them all, she had met the most of their extended family, had in fact had a hand in bringing many of them into the herd in the first place. While she wasn't familiar with this particular mare, she had seen her arrive with the Romani clan, those descended from Jezabelle's brother Lucian. So the family of family then, family once removed? What was the proper term? Talisa liked to know the details of the people around her, she loved finding the connections.

When the mouth on the mare's chest opened and her two voices melted into one beautiful harmony, Talisa's jaw dropped, but her eyes sparkled with wonder and excitement.

When the mare finished her lovely song, she couldn't help but sidle closer. "Wow! she breathed, her eyes still wide, "I wish I could sing like that! How unfair, I can't sing at all and you have not just one, but two lovely voices" Her conspiratorial grin invited the mare to share in her joke. Talisa tilted her head, her long raven hair glistening in the firelight and her heart shaped adornments tinkling gently with each movement.

"I'm Talisa by the way, I saw you arriving earlier with.... Rinkini? And Latcho Churi? But I didn't have the chance to say hello" She hoped she'd remembered the names right, "I don't believe I know the other mare, but you all look so much alike, you must be related. My father is Vincento," she nodded towards the stallion looking out over the celebration. "And this is Ambros, he's guarding me tonight, and he takes that job overly serious, but don't mind his silence, he's a big softy at heart." The grin she cast over her shoulder at her friend was positively wicked, and the stallion returned it with a look that made her take a mental note to check her bed for something slimy before turning in.

"I have to ask, did you have to practice for ages to learn to sing with yourself in harmony like that?"

LydaLynn

 

[Faithofthefallen]

Talisa's eyes crinkled with her smile. She could sense that the mare was nervous, she'd never lived outside of the herd's fold but many of the new members behaved that way when they first arrived. As if they didn't realize basic decency existed, the heaviness in her chest made her clear her throat. She chafed so much at her parents' overprotection, but she had never stopped to realize what a privilege it was to go outside and never fear that you might be ridiculed or attacked for simply being.

She, like Jezabelle, drank blood. She could not abide the texture of meat. Talisa had never had to hide that to fit in. She'd never lost her mind with bloodlust like any of the others who'd grown up outside or who had inherited a greater need, because she'd never had to abstain for her physical safety. It was if her whole world halted for a moment as she came to these realizations. She felt a love so fierce for her herd that tears pricked in her eyes, and sorrow pricked at her heart. All of this took place in a matter of a moment.

"Oh good," Talisa nodded, her voice a bit rough with emotion, "I'm glad I got the names right." Her face suddenly became fierce, "It is something special! You're brilliant, never let anyone tell you otherwise! I've never heard anything so beautiful!" She went on, "Most of my family is as dangerous as they are lovely, and mutations are not uncommon. Most seasons, our foals are born with mutations from the spirits. We celebrate them here. One of my nieces is the commander of my father's armies and she has roses that literally grow out of her flesh, her sister's body cracks as though made of porcelain. We have paws, claws, fangs, extra wings and eyes, all sorts of features that make us horrifying to outsiders, on top of that, most of us are predators of one kind or another. Be yourself here... Oh! I don't think I caught your name, my apologies! But anyways, never fear you will be rejected here. I can't promise you'll be absolutely safe, we're not a clan of safe people to be around, but we celebrate uniqueness. In fact, thats what this night is all about for us. Embracing that which makes us different, or causes us pain, the things that tear at our soul for one reason or another, and finding the balance so we can go into the darkness as a whole person. Perhaps, you should light a candle, meditate a bit on that. If you want to."

Oh dear, she'd gone and given a speech. Her cheeks reddened at her forwardness. It was the night and something in the air. Normally she was much more diplomatic, hence her position as ambassador. "I do apologize if I've been too forward."

LydaLynn

 

[Faithofthefallen]

Cerridwen's heart was a hammer in her chest as she navigated through the crowd. She wished her sisters had deigned to come, but they'd been busy and when her father had asked her to attend the Autumnal Equinox with him, she'd been so flattered, she'd agreed.

She felt awful about it, but she was terrified. It wasn't a judgmental fear built from hate or misunderstanding, but rather the instinctual tenseness of a bunny surrounded by wolves. Her body was in fight or flight mode, adrenaline thundering through her veins, her breathing quicker, although she kept her face neutral and her body language as serene as she could under the circumstances, but still, the soq she passed flared their nostrils as if they could smell her fear. They probably could, oh gods!

Cerridwen wasn't used to the dark, that was the first issue. This time of night, she would have been sleeping soundly in her own bed. The firelight cast everyone's faces into flickering shadow. The air smelled of smoke, blood, sweat, and the constant drumbeat had her even more on edge. She rather liked the alters with their flowers, candles, and pomegranates, finding them a soothing reminder of her herd's own traditions. And the dancing, which was entrancing and lovely, although she could tell it was as much of a warning as a display.

The problem was that she was not terrible well traveled, she'd been adventuresome as a foal, but wandering a few miles from her home on her own wasn't the same as experiencing people with new cultures and world views. She felt keenly aware of her ignorance now, and ashamed of her fear. Cerridwen hadn't wanted to trail her father like an accessory so she'd wandered off on her own as soon as they'd arrived, but as more and more of the herd woke up and came to join the celebration, she grew to regret that decision. Lording over it all was Vincento Sinclair, looking up at him, she saw her father chatting with the patriarch of this clan and his lovely companions. Eva and Coquette quite took her breath away with their beauty and the potential for violence that seemed to bleed off of them into the surrounding air. And Vincento... Her pupils dilated and her heart fluttered more than before. He was terrifying, but so handsome that Cerridwen felt her legs liquify when his eyes suddenly met hers and a wicked little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Her sisters would laugh at her childish crush when she told them of him, he was much older than her, and full of shadows and danger, but that was the draw, wasn't it. She quickly broke his gaze, and continued her exploration.

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I wrote this so it could be a solo, but if anyone wants an rp partner for their soq, Cerridwen is open to interaction

 

[Lady Argentum Draconis]

Galious had felt it was his duty as a member of the guard to attend the festivities of the neighboring herd. He felt it was important to be aware of the kind of soquili that lived so close to their own home and what a group of individuals they were. He carefully weaved his way around so many legs. He had hoped that there might be at least one or two other usida types among the Sinclair's, see how the lay of the land was from someone at his own eye level only to find there were none. The closest were the four or five mice, honestly wasn't sure if there were that many or not as he kept losing count of them, and he didn't want to try and ask what could be sensitive questions of them. Odds are his curiosity would be back to the wrong ears and he wasn't trying to cause problems just enlighten himself of the quality of their neighbors.

Of course it had been all he could do when he caught sight of Vincento to not run. Bad memories of another Kalona, although that one female who'd been determined to tear him and Ceres apart, resurfacing and causing his flight instinct to demand attention. He'd managed to squash it but the smell of blood definitely did not make it easy. Still he'd keep his head high and try to remain calm. He was a guard and here to make a good impression that size didn't matter, it was what was inside that counted.

He watched the dancing from the sidelines. He was fond of dancing but he wasn't familiar with the one currently going on and honestly it had too many overtones of being something more than it appeared that he didn't want to intrude. There was also the fear of getting under hoof or accidentally hitting someone with a horn. No, best to avoid the whole thing and stick to the sidelines unless asked. Although outside of the individuals from his own herd he wasn't sure any of these strangers had actually noticed him. Not necessarily a bad thing though, it allowed him to watch and observe in a way that the bigger members of the entourage couldn't.

He straightened his shoulders and wondered if there was anything suitable to eat. With the more interesting individuals about he was almost afraid there would be some, well things he'd never consider eating offered as refreshment. Well there was only one way to find out and perhaps he could overhear something of interest that would provide him with more information about this family. Watching would only get him so far after all. Now to just brave the "forest" of legs and hope he didn't trip anyone.

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Galious is free to talk to anyone.

 

[Faithofthefallen]

The darkness quivered.

Selda stood stiffly in the shadows next to the dais, watching the revelry with a wary gaze. She was careful to angle her head so that her photosensitive left eye was facing away from the flickering firelight. She had never seen so many people gathered in one place, sure the herd lands were relatively well populated, but they'd never gathered all in one place before. It made her keenly aware of her size, she had no desire to venture out into the forest of limbs. It was entirely more awkward running into someone, or being backed into, when you were only a fraction of their height. Hindquarters to the head was not particularly pleasant.

Selda had only joined the herd a month or so ago, she had sworn the blood oath, been given lodging, and then remained more or less cloistered since then, sneaking out every so often to watch and listen. When she kept still in the shadows, they crept over her in a film and made it easy to observe undetected. Learning to switch her sleeping times was proving to be a challenge, she was used to sleeping at night, when things were busiest on the Sinclair's lands. Tonight, all her neighbors had come out for the celebration though, and when she was alone, her terror of the dark crept up on her again.

So, Selda had slipped out of bed, shadows trailing her like murky footprints as she'd sprinted along the well beaten pathway to square and taken up residence near Vincento. He was the only soquili she knew well here, even though they'd only exchanged words a few times, a strange and inexplicable connection had formed almost immediately. Although she did not drink blood or eat meat, she felt safe around him, and comfortable. His herd was formidable, but Selda had seen many examples of kindness and compassion in her short time here. She had spent most of her life living alone, and thus was intimidated by the idea of carrying on a conversation, let alone meeting so many new people. She didn't really know be a part of a herd, but it looked like fun. If she could only figure out how to come out of her shell long enough to meet anyone.

The crowd parted for a moment and Selda went absolutely stiff with shock. Another soquili was picking his way through the crowd, his golden horns glimmering in the firelight. He was clearly unnerved, but more importantly he was her size. Although she'd heard tales of others, she'd never met anyone like her before. It was enough to pull her away from her hiding place, the shadows sticking to her legs like sticky tar as she crept closer.

Selda stopped a few feet away from the stallion, the crowd parting around her, and stared at him with awkward intensity.

And stared.

Finally she cleared her through, "Er, um... Hello."
Her voice was rough from disuse.
Oh gods, what does one say after hello?

Lady Argentum Draconis