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 Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:05 pm
"Mmm, no bears, but we ran into a very angry lion who chased us halfway up the mountain," Gemma said with all seriousness...which held for a full minute before she dissolved into giggles and stepped forward to give her father an affectionate nuzzle and a gentle butt to the shoulder before she stepped back near Leon once more, wing draping carefully over him in an attempt to calm him down.
She could just sense the nerves coming off of him. Head tilted to look at him and with a look of pure adoration and a voice mirroring it, "I hope you like my home, Leon." It truly was her safe haven - moreso than the two legger village was, for certain.
"And I'm sorry, papa. Some things a girl's just gotta confide in her momma. I hope you understand. I still love you! You're the best papa in the world." Attention was turned on her father once more, eyes full of adoration for HIM too. After all, he was the model of how a stallion should treat a mare!
Oh ho! Hienna was pleased with this stallion that her daughter brought home and he was absolutely nothing like his father. Immediately, he gained fifty thousand brownie points. "I'm flattered that you think I'm lovely, Leon. My, what manners he has." It was odd having Hienna's tongue being so free and not carefully choosing each word and being slow. But it was her mate's presence that loaned her that self esteem.
Golden eyes looked to her mate and she raised a brow, "I did not think any such thing, Zaphiro."
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 10:18 pm
Raising one dark brow at Hienna's staunch denial, Zaphiro murmured, "Liar" to his mate before giving Gemma a fond grin. He understood what Gemma meant, of course; there were times that his sons came to speak to him without filling in Hienna, after all. But the fact that Gemma had left Hienna to fill in the blanks meant she'd taken a big risk, a risk that Hienna hadn't had time to tell him anything, and THAT could have been quite the issue.
It hadn't been, of course, because Hie was an angel, but that was beside the point. "Well, would either of you like an apple or something? I have no idea how long it took you guys to get here, but giving Hienna's anxiety, I'm guessing it hasn't been short." Smiling, he gestured with his free wing towards the willows. After all, standing so long had to get awkward.
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 12:21 pm
More than he could say, Leon appreciated Gemma's loving wing across his back. It steadied his heart, cleared his head, and helped him to breathe normally. So it was when Zaphiro offered a bite to eat, he was able to smile his thanks, bob his head in acceptance, and begin the short walk to the indicated trees.
Taking advantage of his gratefulness to her as well as their motion, Leon leaned to nuzzle his beautiful Gemma along her jaw. "How am I doing, my love?" he whispered, nervousness coming clear. He bowed his head to pass beneath a drooping branch, snorting at a rabbit that suddenly darted from practically beneath his hooves. He paused to blink after the fat little thing, ears swiveling. "A pet of yours?" he inquired in a more normal tone of voice, glancing at the younger mare. He couldn't help the warmth in his eyes, despite his nervousness, whenever he looked at her. Her smiles and touches were enough to banish, if only momentarily, the continuing feeling of intimidation and worry.
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:28 am
"You're doing wonderfully," she assured the stallion. It was very odd hearing herself be called 'my love' but it filled her with a flurry of fluttering butterflies that threatened to lift her up into the air and never let her back down. Whether it was from happiness, nerves, or a combination of both was up for open debate.
"An apple sounds great, papa. Thank you." A warm smile was flashed at her father and she stepped forward to brush her muzzle affectionately against him and was almost there when Leon's voice broke through and it instead turned to look in his direction. Golden eyes lowered to the rabbit and she blinked a few times, "No, I don't have any pets. Must have just wandered in."
Animals had a tendency to do that.
Hienna smirked at her mate, "Not a liar at all," she murmured in return and rolled her eyes at the mention of her anxiety. He'd pay for that later, he would! Most definitely. Off she went toward the trees, turning her head to look back at the three as the rabbit came into view, "It's as if they knew Gemma was here. The medicine woman is in, as they say."
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:18 pm
Leading the way towards the willows, Zaphiro had to pause to look back over at the rabbit in question, his own mouth curving somewhat wryly at the comments about Gemma's 'animal magnetism'. "Indeed, they seemed to have a soft spot for her; it lead to some interesting clashes between she and Zaris, as you might imagine, Leon." Doing his best to keep the younger stallion at ease, Zaphiro turned to give Leon an amused smile. "After all, hawks are predatary birds, and as far as Zaris saw, there was nothing wrong with picking off a snack from the local lurkers. Gems didn't share that view, as you might imagine..."
Yet another thing that contributed to the general strife between filly and bird. "Did you have any pets or familiars when you were growing up, Leon?" An insignificant question on its own, but one that would serve several purposes. Thus far, Zaphiro had no qualms with his daughter's young stallion, but under these circumstances Leon could just be putting on a show that he thought Zaphiro and Hienna would want to see. It would be harder to keep up a facade, if one existed, when engaged in personal conversation.
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 7:04 pm
At the mention of the bird he'd seen once, Leon cast a glance upwards, trying to keep his heart steady. Really, there was no reason to feel poked and prodded. Gemma's mother was wonderfully kind and genteel, and her father was quite cordial, even though he had every right to be suspicious and abrasive. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. This wasn't a tale from his imagination... these were real soquili with no vendetta against him for seeing their daughter. Right. So knock off the deer with a wolf on it's tail, hmm?
Felling a little more calm, he shook his head at Zaphiro. "No, no pets. I think my family tends to be a little too roving to harbor other anilmals. Except for me, of course," he added as an after-thought. "I tend to stay close to home." He'd never really considered the thought of a familiar to keep him company, since he'd had all his dreams to occupy his time alone. "I tend to lose myself in daydreams," he admitted slowly, "so I don't think I'd be a very good caretaker either." Having said the honest thing, he suddenly realized how bad it must sound! As if he might wander off any minute and leave Gemma alone and unprotected. Mentally kicking himself, he bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from slipping back into his nervous worrying.
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Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:50 pm
"Of course I didn't," Gemma huffed at her father's comment about the bird brain picking off the animals on the ground, "The bird's a bully in his own right, picking on myself and my brothers, but picking on them is just cruel." Oh, she understood the need for the bird to eat - but couldn't he be like a vulture and eat things already dead that couldn't be helped?
Hienna shook her head, "Gemma, there's no need to preach to your father and I. We've heard it plenty enough times to know what you mean and feel." Her horn gently prodded her daughter in the side before taking off to walk beside her mate, "At least their squabbles never left a dull moment." It had become far too silent for the mare's liking. She longed for the playfulness of foals again.
"I'm sure you'd be a good caretaker, Leon. Your day dreams only make you more insightful." Gemma smiled at the stallion and came up beside him, giving him another reassuring nuzzle before muttering, "No need to be nervous. Just be yourself."
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:08 pm
"Well, familiars really don't need a lot of caretaking, Leon; if Zaris is any indication, they actual prefer to be the caretakers themselves, so I don't think you'd have to worry on that score. Still, it's as much of a commitment in its own way as having a mate, really." That had certainly been the cause with Zaris, after all, though Zaris was more of an attendant than an equal; Zaphiro couldn't see Hienna kowtowing the way the bird did, nor would he want her too!
Still, that was something for another day's discussion; Zaphiro knew better than to debate the finer points of familiars while his daughter was present. Instead, he merely shifted his step to match Hienna's as she came up beside him, giving her a nuzzle as the group came up to the willows. "Apples are right there, or the grass is still refreshing, if you'd prefer something a bit less sweet, Leon. And please, make yourself comfortable."
With the air of a proper host, Zaphiro indicated first the foodstuffs and then gestured to the ground, a clear invitation for everyone to lie down and settle. He himself would, of course, be the last; he wasn't a traditionalist for nothing!
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Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:52 pm
His nerves steadied somewhat, he gave his ladylove a tender smile, one that closed out the rest of the world and beamed all his affection on her alone. With her close, everything seemed easier, and nothing seemed impossible. He leaned into her nuzzle and took heart from it. It was with eyes still shining with the shared warmth that he turned back to Zaphiro as their discussion of familiars moved on.
At the mention of commitment to familiars and mates, Leon clearly became thoughtful, considering the presented issue. He mulled on the concept as their destination was reached and refreshments offered. He sidled into a spot where he could easily see both of Gemma's parents, but followed the older stallion's example, waiting for the mares to make themselves comfortable first before stretching out on the grass.
Before reaching for an apple, he chose to comment. "Commitment wouldn't be what kept me back from finding a familiar. I only suppose that it would have to be a very tolerant and understanding creature, to put up with my rambling thoughts and winsome ideas." He colored a bit at that admission. "I do tend to come up with some rather overly idealistic fantasies, I'm afraid." A light, incidiental brush against Gemma focused him in the now again, and he beamed at her once more. "Though sometimes what I think must be an impossible dream does become reality." Once more he had eyes only for her, with her graceful movements and her glimmering colors. A dream come true indeed.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:28 am
Gemma's heart simply stopped at the gaze the stallion gave her and her breath caught in her throat. Oh, dear, the things such a look could do to a girl who had never been in love before. The look was returned with a similar adoration though the conversation was momentarily drowned out until her mother came up and nosed her in an attempt to snap her out of it.
Blush touching her amethyst cheeks, the mare coughed and slowly lowered herself down into a laying position with her head neatly rested on her mother's neck. The words Leon were saying simply made her shine with...contentment.
Hienna didn't fail to notice the looks between the younger two Soquili, nor did she fail to notice the happiness radiating off of her daughter. Indeed, this was something serious and not something that the unicorn had expected. At least, not to this extent. Golden eyes shifted to look at her mate, a knowing smile touching her lips. She approved.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:00 am
Though Leon might have started out speaking to Zaphiro, by the time the younger stallion had finished speaking Zaph knew full well that his mind had gone elsewhere. Ah well, it was best to be honest with one's emotions...though Zaphiro, like Hienna, wasn't expecting to see such blatant feeling on Gemma's face.
Deciding that the best course of action was to simply carry on, Zaphiro caught Hienna's eye as he looked away from Gemma; now THERE was a face that meant the emotion it showed, if he knew his mate at all. The knowing, almost smug smile made his own lips quirk slightly, but only for a second before he was directing his attention back to Leon.
As the three other Soqs had settled, Zaphiro had remained standing (the better to keep an eye on things). Now, he stood beside the willow, his golden gaze firmly fixed on Leon as the younger stallion made googly eyes at Gemma. Giving a slight cough of his own to get Leon's attention back to the matter at hand, Zaph proceded to dive right back into the conversation. "Well then, now that we're all comfortable, why don't you two tell us how you met? I must admit I'm curious, seeing how Gems didn't tell me anything and Hienna was rather intent that I hear the details from her."
Glancing back at his mate and daughter, Zaphiro allowed his expression to show that he held no ill-feelings; after all, they'd been over that before! But that didn't change the fact that he was curious, and as he saw it, he had a right to know. "Are you from around these parts, Leon?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 9:58 pm
The cough brought him back to reality... or rather the rest of reality. He settled nearby Gemma, though not actually touching her. His expression clearly said that physical contact wasn't necessary for her to fill him with the light of joy. Just her nearness did that plenty well enough. He firmly directed his attention to her father, who was clearly desiring his attention. He even remained standing, so as to better draw Leon's eye. Dutifully the sunset stallion kept his eyes on the other stallion rather than on his lovely daughter. He mentally repeated Gemma's words to himself... "Just be yourself, just be yourself." He didn't quite murmur them aloud, but he breathed them as if they were a mantra to hold in the warmth of her love and acceptance. Surely if this stallion had sired and raised such a wonderful mare, he himself would also come to accept Leon too?
His growing confort was momentarily shaken though, at the mention of how he had met Gemma. His eyes glazed over slightly as he recalled being slightly out of his mind with shame, and how that had resulted in Gemma's injury. The mixture of feelings of that day washed over him like a tidal wave, and he gulped a breath so suddenly he choked. Sputtering to take a normal breath, which he finally gasped, he cast Gemma a vaguely pained look before turning back to Zaphiro. Hopefully the stallion wouldn't throw him out for this.
"Well," he began slowly. "I was... feeling very distressed when she came along and found me." He resisted the urge to bite his lip nervously, plunging on. "I reacted with much... startlement when she tried to help," he continued, "and she ended up with a small cut from a rather vicious pinecone." Ah, there his imagination was, kicking in to save him from himself. He suddenly could see a snarling, drooling pinecone, slavering to sink it's pinecone teeth into the pretty mare's haunch. In fact, he nearly giggled, but cleared his throat and gained control of hismelf before it snuck out. "I felt bad, and helped her tend to the wound. She's very good with plants and healing wounds." Perhaps the last was rather obtuse, but it was said with such admiration. His ears flicked towards Gemma, but he didn't glance at her, but kept his eyes trained on her father. "She was such a gentle and understanding soul, I had to get to know her better."
Now he paused and looked genuinely confused. "I'm not entirely sure how things got to where they are now... it's sort of all a blur." He shifted on the lush grass and snorted gently. "But feeling as I do for your daughter, I knew I had to come meet the stallion and mare that raised her to be so wonderful, and to gain your permission to court her." His tone wasn't nearly as formal as his words sounded, but it was quite sincere. "Zaphiro, sir... do I have your permission to see your daughter?" Somehow he wasn't nervous now. Only hopeful, and that hope shone in his eyes and he looked entreatingly up at the older stallion.
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Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:20 pm
Gemma had been about to answer her father's question when Leon took over for it and she simply smiled, giving a small nod of her head - though she did have to add on, "It's not something that you can pinpoint on a single spot in time," she confessed, "It just...happened. Isn't that how it's supposed to happen? Mama once told me that she could never find one moment in which she fell in love with you, that it was a bunch of moments all at once." Golden eyes searched toward her mother for confirmation - who gave a nod. Leon continued talking as she nuzzled into her mother's neck, content on listening.
And then he actually asked her father to court her. To see her. It was the most precious thing in the world! Her father, her family, meant the absolute world to her and Leon seemed to know that. It filled her with warmth.
Hienna simply shot Zaphiro a surprised look - as much as she did like Leon, she would have never thought that he'd have that...respect and thoughtfulness to ask. It filled her with pride at her daughter's choice and a nod was given. Zaphiro better give his approval, or he was getting nipped.
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:38 pm
Well. Zaphiro had been hoping for honesty in his dealings with Gemma's young stallion, but in all honesty he himself hadn't been expecting Leon to be THAT honest. He had to credit the younger stallion, though; he certainly was brave. After all, there weren't that many stallions he knew of that were so willing to be so honest in their intentions towards mares to said mare's fathers so soon after meeting them!
But then, he himself wasn't those other mares' father. Without even glancing towards Gemma and Hienna, Zaphiro remained as he was, holding Leon's gaze with his own for a few long, potentially agonizing minutes before smiling. "I have always considered myself a fair stallion, Leon; I like to assume the best and trust in the individual judgement of others to see situations through. Gemma is a grown mare, and I ultimately respect and encourage her in her own wishes and desires; though I'm her father, I don't claim to know her heart and mind as well as she does herself. Your candor and the statement of your intentions is appreciated on my part, but I think that if you want to ask anyone for permission about courting..."
As he spoke, Zaphiro had walked over to where the two mares were lying, lowering his head to give his daughter a loving nuzzle as he finished, "You should really be asking Gemma."
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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:47 pm
Leon listened attentively to Zaphiro, keeping his eyes on the older stallion's. But as the father approached his daughter, Leon's eyes grew larger, brighter, fuller of life. And as his gaze fell upon the beautiful young mare, he began once more to glow. Brightness shone from within him, appearing to light his coat up from within, making the sunset stallion appear even more as if the sun had just gone down within him, highlighting the warm colors and illuminating his paler stripes on his legs as if they were being lit from below by the rays of the sun. Gemma's mother and father faded away once more, though he unconciously murmured in response to the blue stallion's comment, "Yes, I wil."
With all the world consisting of her, he tossed his mane distractedly out of his eyes, the better to stare deeply into hers. "Do you Gemma? Do you want me to court you?" His gaze was entreating, his whole heart in them. In pervious situations, he had been as head-over-heels for an idea, but this idea was real... living, breathing, flesh and blood. And he was now committing himself heart and soul to her, whether she knew it or not. "Nothing would make me happier than to be allowed to try to win your heart, Gemma." His voice was soft and gentle, sincerity itself. "May I try?"
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