[PRP] An Unusual Proposition (Ladius and Entreri)

[Cajmera]

As spring became more established, the signs of winter had been fading by the day. Snow piles disapeared into puddles of water, frozen ground softened and melted into spongy turf and mud, and icy waters had opened into rushing streams and open ponds. The grass was greening up, flowers were making their first appearances of the season, and the trees were slowy but surely gaining their leaves back.

However, plant life wasn't the only thing reproducing. The songs of baby birds, the footprints of young deer, and the rush of fish to spawn were common presences these days...

Which served to cast Ladius into as blue a funk as ever.

It wasn't that she disliked Spring on it's own; she DID dislike mud for the unsure footing, but the season itself didn't bother her much. It was what it symbolized that she couldnt' stand; new life and propagation. In the case of her species...the propagation of idiots, chauvenists, and weaklings.

When her usual haunt had flooded with the rising of the river, Ladius had taken advantage of the situation to roam about a bit. And in the course of those wanderings, she had gotten to see a few 'families' with new foals...and been thoroughly disgusted.

In every case, it was the same. The mare and stallion made goo-goo eyes at each other, then the stallion would go off to 'provide' while the mare basically watched the kids and laid around. Then the stallion would come home and take everyone to the feeding place he'd discovered, or bring them berries, and then he'd pat the mare and kids on the head and everyone would go to bed.

"Every damn time. Don't those mares realize that they could provide too?" Grumbling a bit, Ladius was busily at her musings and training both; in the middle of the river, the mare was swimming against the current with all her strength, slowly but surely making her way upstream. "Or even teach in the interim? And people wonder why the species is faltering."  

[samus x]

Spring time was the time of year Entreri dispised more than anything as it ment the idoits flocked about starting families with their pretty little mates that they just started beign mates with. man he truely hated this time of year with a passion as he wanted to avoid havign to see mares and stallons making goggly eyes at one another, prancing about with new families. ugg it disgusted him to no end and tryed to avoid any one he concedered weak durign spring so he wouldnt run into foals or any idiot flirt mare wantign to try and attempt to seduce him, if he ran into another mare that would try and flrt with him he might just kill the idiot though he disliked killing for no reason though he wasnt above killign in anger. his way of avoiding anyone was to fly to where he wanted to go now a days though he knew he might run into some wind or alicorn mare if he was unlucky. wind whippign his mane and tail about as he flew following a rivers path, when he saw something brown in the middle of the river fighting against the current going up stream. to him it seemed the soquili was in the middle of the stream on purpose which sparked his interest. when he flew down and landed a bit ahead of who it was in the stream he realised when he saw the figure more closely that it was ladius whom he now saw in the stream. " seems its no suprise to find you in the water Ladius." moveing to watch her from the edge fo the water, this time he wasn't wearign his cape as in the spring it caused him to over heat and it was better not to wear it, so he left it in his cave he slept in that was far from where he was now.  

[Cajmera]

Without even turning her head, Ladius nevertheless managed to convey awareness of the stallion watching her from the bank. And why not? You meet someone a few times, you got a little less unsure of them each time you met. This time she hadn't heard him approach, but when one was in the middle of a roaring river, well...sounds were a bit less noticable.

Raising her voice so that she could be heard above the water, Ladius otherwise gave no real indication that the stallion's prescnce had even registered. "Naturally; with all the snow melt, the river is at its peak strength. Prime training circumstances, especially for the legs."

Like the little engine that could, Ladius continued to move upstream. However, her course had changed now; instead of swimming straight up the middle of the river, she was tilted slightly so that she'd be moving towards the bank. At the new angle, the force of the current was hitting more of her side, making the effort even more pronounced on her part by the time she finally reached the bank and pulled herself out, shaking off the water and looking at the stallion. "So, what brings you to these parts, Entreri? Can't say I've seen you around for some time."  

[samus x]

Entreri watched Ladius move her way to the bank with mild amusment. once she got on the bank and shook the water off, he ruffled his wings a bit from watchign the water come off her and responded. " water training has never been my thing as it keeps me land bound for a while." shruging, he eyed her. " avoiding the weakings that run about every spring that love to flirt has brought me about these parts though i had not expected to run into you or anyone for that matter." if he had met anyone else, he probaly would have been long gone by now and more annoyed than ever. ruffling his wings and smoothig his feathers, he was lucky he hadn't ran into anyone else or anyone else was lucky not to run into him.  

[Cajmera]

"Yeah, well, when you don't have any choice BUT to be landbound, you don't really worry about such things." And she didn't; after all, she'd spent her entire life firmly tied to the earth, and pining about it wouldn't change it. Besides, lacking wings had its advantages; you tended to be a LOT faster by foot and more knowledgeable about the terrain. Moreso when you lived in any one place...

But then, this was not her place. Flicking her tail in an arc, Ladius smiled slightly at the solid 'thud' with which the wet braids hit the ground. "Besides, water has its advantages; wet a braided tail and you can wind a kalona." Which would be good to remember in the future...

However, at his comments she wrinkled her nose, annoyed at the reminder of something that she herself had been annoyed with. "Tell me about it. It's merely propagation of idiots, chauvenists, and mistaken ideals. Mares get the chance to mold the minds of a new generation, and what do they do? Make gooey eyes at the stallions and provide no true guidance to the foals, leading the new foals to fall into the same gendered molds as their parents. It's pitiful."  

[samus x]

" true enough." Artemis Entreri shrugged a bit as that part of the conversation was pretty much over with since he wasn't about to complain about water and wet wings. wings had their advantages and disadvantages, which Entreri used his wings to his advantage when he could. " i rather avoid two-leggers so you wont catch me with braids just to have a small advantage if i where to be wet." shaking his head, it seemed Ladius had simular veiws to his about the mares and stallions about. " seems you have simular veiws about the the stallions and mares who run a muck around here. and its not surpising though i would not put all the blame on the mare its also the stallions fault. you could say i'm living proof that not all foals become fools just like their parents though so theres no reason to believe a foal cant turn out differet." that was but a small hint on Entreri's part that he understood all to well what happens when two fools have a foal and decide to wander off because they to busey making gooey eyes at one another.  

[Cajmera]

How very unsurprising. Smiling slightly, Ladius glanced at her braids, then back at Entreri. "A small price to pay for the end results. After all, what big tough stallion would suspect an innocently braided mare?"

A harsh snort was enough to indicate what Ladius felt about THAT viewpoint, and the somewhat smug smile that crossed her face was enough evidence of what happened to stallions that might entertain such ideas. However, that cheerful idea went away with a shake of the head as Entreri went on to expound on the responsibility of stallions. "Oh, I KNOW that the stallions are equally to blame, if not moreso; it's just disgusting that the mares won't step up to the plate. Seriously."

Narrowing her eyes, Ladius visualized one of the last families she'd seen, the syrupy goodness of it all seriously giving her a stomachache before she dismissed THAT image, giving Entreri a shrug. "Even so. I agree that nurture isn't EVERYTHING; you need to have a strong core, good genes and the like to build on. But obviously there needs to be a balance; the best genetic combination can be destroyed by bad nurturing, and the best efforts in raising a child can be to naught if you don't have a sound genetic core."

This was something Ladius herself felt strongly about; while she didn't like to 'write off' children for their misfortune in parentage, she stood firmly by the fact that it was important to have something to build. Ultimately, though, it was about how you were raised. "Personally, I think I could raise a kid MUCH better than any of the families I've seen lately, and said kid would wind up a better adult. No chauvenists or prissy girls HERE."  

[samus x]

" only a weak stallion would wouldn't suspect a thing. a small price im not willing to take as i prefure my mane and tail as is thank you." Entreri then snorted as they where getign more and more into discussion about families and weak mares and stallions. it was a topic he was almost touchy about since he as a young foal had been left to be raised by his uncle and never really knew his own parents, so he had a burnning hate for then because he had been treated harshly as a kid but got his revenge on his uncle when he killed him.. " seems we both agree on that it takes both genetics and how one is raised." when she stated she could raise a foal better than any of the families she had seen it made him raise a brow. " and would you really want the responceablity of raising and watching a foal?" it was mearly a question and he really ment nothing when he said it.  

[Cajmera]

Dismissing the hair discussions, Ladius quirked a brow at Entreri. "What you can't see me managing a foal? If I can manage a fight, I think I can manage a foal. In fact, I've often thought it would be a good thing. After all, society isn't changing on it's own, and much as I try, I can't manage everything myself. What better way to ensure the furthering of the decent elements of Soquili society than to do it yourself in the most basic of ways?"

A truly logical question, as she saw it. After all, others obviously couldn't be counted on to accomplish anything of worth, so why not count on your own abilities? That was the way a fighter lived, after all.  

[samus x]

Artemis Entreri shook his head. " no what i question is you actualy allowing yourself to have foals with any stallion. and your right the only way to do what your wanting to do is to do it yourself in the way you r speaking of." he now was musing over what Ladius had said. everything she said was very logical and he couldn't help but agree with what she was saying. but there was a question he had to ask her as he could shee ehr allowing herself to be with just any stallion with the way she spoke. " the question that comes to mind is are you actualy going to go find a suitable stallion to your expectations adn actualy ask him to have foals with you?"  

[Cajmera]

"You know, Entreri, there are other ways than asking 'random' stallions." Now Ladius was arching a brow, the look on her face one truly skeptical. "As you ought to know, I'll kick in the jaw of any stallion who even THINKS I'm game for that sort of thing. Obviously there is more to be considered than mere gender. I'd have to find a stallion who was actually WORTH the effort, one who's genes wouldn't attempt to sabotague the overall effort."

And therein lay the clincher. "Of course, that's the problem; there are so few stallions out there that are actually DECENT that it's quite likely the world would end before I found one. In fact, the only stallion who's worth his salt..."

Ladius had been gazing into the distance while musing, Entreri's words reminding her of the biggest problem with this whole enterprise. However, as she spoke her eyes came sharply back into focus, arrowing in sharply on the stallion before her.  

[samus x]

it was now Entreri's turn to have a raised brow and a skeptical look on his face as he listened to Ladius. as she spoked it seemed she was musing over somethign while speaking as she gazed off somewhere. with her last words she spoke still in mind as she then focused on him right then. it hit him that she most likely was goign to imply he was the only one and so he bluntly spoke which interupted her. " you surely are not implying me are you?" raising a brow again, he wondered if she truely was implying that they should have foals togther. he never once had thought of having foals of his own and had only thought of betterign his skills while goign after Drizzit.  

[Cajmera]

"No implications about it, Entreri." Ladius' voice was more of a drawl now, each word emphasized as she regarded the stallion thoughtfully. Really, the more she thought about it the more it made sense...

"Think about it, Entreri. Your genes combined with mine have to have the most potential of any other pair out there. Take that genetic combination and give the resulting offsrping to me to raise?"

Considering the idea, Ladius smile had started to grow, the sort of satisfied and borderline smug smile that seemed to be her trademark. She couldn't say that the idea of being subordinate in any way appealed to her, but one had to make sacrifices to the greater good. "Honestly, Entreri? You're probably the best possible stallion. Is that such a shock?"

The look she now fixed on him was challenging, as though daring him to deny his own worth or worse, her own. It was a brilliant plan.  

[samus x]

oh she backed him into a corner now but he wasn't a fool and so he mused over what she said. he wasnt about to deny his own wroth and of course he didn't need to get himself into a fight over denying her worth ether. it was a few long moments before he carefuly gave his reply. " i'm not about to question our worth. but to be asked to do such a thing doesn't appeal to me in the least bit." she would definatly have to to concvice him ferther or corner him to a pout he couldn't refuse. " but another thing is are you dead serious that you would further push your idea adn convice me? besides do you really think you know much about me and how i would be around foals if i truely wanted to be around them?" if she was truely serious she just might convice him.  

[Cajmera]

The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to Ladius. She could manage foals; after all, she was quite likely the toughest mare this side of the mountains, and if those wimps could, she could.

Cocking a brow at Entreri, she gave a mirthless snort. "Nice to know that you, unlike most stallions, think with the head on your shoulders and not the one under your legs. And who said anything about knowing you?"

Striding forwards, Ladius closed the space between the two of them so that their muzzles were only about a foot apart. "Considering that the issue is genes, one only has to look at you to know you've got a good thing to contribute. That aside, I don't doubt your abilities as a fighter, which can only mean good things for potential foals. And I live in one place, it's not that hard to find me. You can fly. You could manage it, unless your tracking skills have sunk below zero."

Tilting her head to one side, she gave the stallion a challenging look. "Think about it. No strings attached, the knowledge you actually aided in the creation of something decent, and possibly the only chance you'd ever have to tangle with a mare as tough as you. What's there to lose?"