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 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:29 am
"So you would force another's hand..." Kiyoshi seemed intrigued by this revelation and raised a brow higher. It was perhaps the first time the stallion had ever experienced a hissy fit. Having left Azumoth's mother before he had even been aware of her pregnancy, he had never been forced to cater to the whims of a disgruntled child. All the same, the out burst had proved beneficial in providing Kiyoshi with the weaponry he required to continue. No doubt the mother would loathe him for harming her child in such an unspeakable way...
"I do not make a person want me little one, they desire me by default," he pointed out coolly, maintaining his composure as he examined the colt closely. "You see this world is filled with those who are inferior to one such as I - I possess strength, finesse and beauty that they would give their lives for. It is therefore evident they will crawl to me on begging knee to receive it." Had he not had an array of followers some might have scoffed at these words but he had never had a problem attracting his little treasures, they came like wasps to jam and became stuck.
Within moments they were always his.
"I convince no one it is their duty to desire me," tilting his head to the side he released a dark chuckle. An idle sigh and he flicked his tail against his armoured flank as he watched the little colt take a stand. A flurry of wings and an angry expression would do little to phase the stallion, he had patience in the droves when he required it and lord knew he needed it for children.
"However there is hope for you yet if you have the strength to force another's hand," he tilted his head to the side and offered a slight smile. One would have argued it didn't reach his eyes but the glow somewhat hindered this statement - if his eyes had creased it would be difficult to tell. "If you have the determination to make such a thing work then there is hope, but one of your age will not be taken seriously...you know this, yes?"
Allowing these words to hang in the air the male drifted back towards the lake and lowered his head to admire his own reflection. There was a renewed strength about him, he could even see it himself.
"I could help," he said at last.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:35 pm
Bright could have easily faltered. The winds were picking up, buffeting his small frame, and Kiyoshi's charisma was as overwhelming as his size. The foal didn't understand what he was feeling. It made him want to run back to his mother's side and bury his muzzle in her pinions.
Kiyoshi was wrong. Bright didn't intend to force anyone. He would convince them! Through his example! That wasn't a bad thing, was it? What was the harm if he got people to want something, and then they were happy when they got it? Everyone would be pleased! His intentions were pure!
And to accomplish them-
Kiyoshi was right. No matter how hard Bright tried, he was still only a fresh-faced little colt. His parents loved him. But it wasn't enough.
"How?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:29 am
Kiyoshi always enjoyed the moments when the spirits warped and 'twisted' the weather to his advantage. He rarely considered it coincidence that such things could occur at such moments and thus he savoured them. It really added to the atmosphere and often gave the illusion that he was the only one that could help. Ah, so easy were the minds of children to manipulate...he was surprised he hadn't considered this before. He sent a note of thanks to the spirits for giving him this opportunity and at last turned his attention to the petite colt...and his inquisitive expression.
Lifting his head, the stallion ensured that his movements were slow and his expression was thoughtfully. Hair tumbling across his glowing eyes, they briefly disappeared only to reappear as the strands began to cascade down his muzzle and reposition themselves. Everything was to be in slow motion, as though he was so deep in thought that he was 'sluggish'. Honestly...he simply did it because it tended to emphasise his sheer beauty and strength. He was so terribly vain, heh.
Admittedly the colt was exceptionally naive, assuming that he could convince his parents to ever become mates based on his desires. However it was this selfishness that indicated that he had use, that determination and that naivity were a sure sign that he could be warped a led. Really, Kiyoshi was intrigued to know what nonsense his parents had spouted to him - had they really painted such ideal and false images?
"It is quite simple young one, you must find out what scares your mother...and your father most." He smiled darkly and shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "After that the game you must play is easy..."
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:17 pm
Bright Dusk was equal parts naive and desperate, too blinded by the perfection he sought to ever stop striving for the impossible. He was young, easily tempted, entranced by the grace and power of this all-too-convenient benefactor. Kiyoshi's tendrils snaked hypnotically around his face, drawing the colt ever deeper into contemplation.
But for all that Bright was easily led, he'd never, ever been slow.
"My parents are good Soquili," Bright said, slowly, as though he needed to concentrate in order to shape the chaotic whorl of his thoughts into ordered language. "They love me. If I pretended to be sick, they'd come together to help me. Is that what you're saying?"
Bright's fondest wish wasn't a game. It couldn't be. Had never been. But this was the only adult who'd ever asked about his feelings on the mater, or offered to help him at all. And it wouldn't- if it worked, it wouldn't harm anyone.
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:48 am
"Would that completely scare your mother?" Kiyoshi mulled over the question for a while before dismissing it with an abrupt shake of his head. Alas, the route the child had picked up on was incorrect for the immediate outcome. It was Kiyoshi's intention to make the foal realise that only he had the answers and he suspected that upsetting his mother through those means would be wrong. Admittedly, Kiyoshi was not adverse to using force on occasions but he could play other mind games when such options were not available.
He had to be subtle.
Therefore it would have been no surprise to an adult soquili that he had selected the most cliche (and yet successful) ploy in the book. He would of course advise the child on how it was to be done but the actors would be Bright's responsibility. If the foal were to completely trust him then this particular stallion had to let him make some of the choices - correct?
Absolutely.
"Adults often call plans of a 'good' nature 'games', it infers they are harmless," Kiyoshi explained patiently as he lifted his head again and glanced towards the water. All in all he could still see the stiffness and odd angle of one of his wings but in time that would improve. Given how long it would take to exact his time he would be perfectly combat ready by the time all his planning came into fruition.
"I do not think it would be wise to pretend you were ill, it would bring them together but they would be united through pain which is not a good thing," ever the diplomat he smiled pleasantly and shook his head, shifting the hair from his eyes in the process. "On the contrary you must find actors and hatch a plan that will cause your father to act in a heroic manner towards your mother."
"You have heard of such tales yes? The hero rushing to save the princess -" he paused briefly, shrugging his shoulders as he returned his gaze towards the colt. "It tends to result in a new relationship."
He didn't specify which relationship...for a matter of security.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:30 am
"Oh, yes! That's what every mare wants, isn't it? Save the truly dark ones, or the ladies who, er, are flattered by the pity of others."
And Bright knew all about ideals, because he tried to fit himself to each and every one. Strange, then, that this particular drama held very little interest for him. He could imagine himself going through the motions, picture the correct words tripping from his tongue, but try though he might, he couldn't really see the point of being friends with someone he would have to prop up. What he wanted-
What he wanted was someone who'd think well of him, even when he wasn't trying to play a role. Someone strong enough to take care of themselves. A friend, perhaps. Or, um, something else, though he hadn't really thought about that, no matter how often his father urged him to get out and meet more fillies.
But it didn't matter. Bright had never encountered such a Soquili. He doubted that he ever would. There must be something wrong with him, that he'd never dreamed of being weighed down by a suit of shining armor.
"But- Sir Kiyoshi, the trouble is not that my father dislikes my mother."
Bright tried to flex his injured pinions, and held back a wince at the way his muscles twinged. He was trying not to look too hopeful. It didn't quite work.
"It's that he likes other mares very much as well. I can understand why my mother would be grateful. But would, um, a game like that really make him want to stay with her? Like a real family?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:49 am
Kiyoshi slowly drifted away from the foal and began to circle him. His head lifted as he inspected the blue skies above his head. The explanation the foal provided him with, alerted Kiyoshi to the fact that he was not dealing with any normal soquili. On the contrary he was dealing with a rake, a creature that wasn't fussy and sought out the easiest lay. It was creatures like this that sickened Kiyoshi...their preparedness and willingness to thin their family line for what?
Pleasure?
Kiyoshi scoffed at the very thought, he could find pleasure elsewhere and without finding it in a mare. He had sought that out once and had discovered a failure. His son was a product of one of those hapless and carefree unions...in a manner of speaking, the mutant began to pity Bright for having such a father. A father without any sense of strength or the ability to select a lover based on what was good for his family line. It was unfortunate, but Kiyoshi could only assume that Bright's bloodline would amount to nothing with a father like that. Alas, Kiyoshi was not adverse to killing every mare his father came across if that be the case - anything to avoid more failures entering this world.
"Your father disappoints me, I will not lie..." he dropped his gaze to the foal again and ceased in his pacing. Flicking his tail against his flank, he adjusted his weight from one hoof to the other and cleared his throat. "His inability to show any sense of honour and loyalty indicate he is far from a decent stallion, he would be a disappointment to his race."
Ah, the truth hurt.
"However, you can always teach an old stallion to behave, young one... And through careful planning and the plot I mentioned before...then yes, he will be loyal to your mother, and your mother only." Tilting his head to the side he released a chuckle. "When your father realises what he could have lost - lost the only mare to produce truly magnificent children - then he will not let her go..."
Or that was how it worked in theory. If it didn't, Kiyoshi would simply deal with each mare personally until his bloody wretch of a father had no where else to turn.
Of course he wouldn't tell the foal that...
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:17 pm
Only a blind Soquili would have missed the way that Bright flinched when Kiyoshi expressed his opinion of Swift Wind. It was true that his father hadn't always been around when he and Zephyrus were young. He'd spent half his time wandering about with that mare Kaim, and flirting his way through swarms of unattached girls.
But-
But he had taught Bright how to fly! He had! And when he came to visit, he always had good things to say! He never complained about the saddle that two-legger had forced upon him, or gave his sons and reason to worry. Bright knew - he knew - that his father could be good and kind at heart. It would only take a little polish to make him shine.
"Dad doesn't have any foals besides me and my brother. At least, I don't think so. So he and Mom can be together, and I can have brothers and sisters, and it'll be better for them! I know it!"
The colt's eyes gleamed with a sharp, desperate hope. He shifted back and forth on his hooves, all full of excess energy.
"So I'll try it! I will! So-"
He looked up at the stallion through thick, dark lashes. Bright was too pink, too small, too unicorn-like for his own good.
"Thank you for helping me. If it works, I'll definitely repay you. Um, somehow. I don't know how. But I will!"
A perfect person would pay his debts, wouldn't he? Of course he would. And Bright worked ever so hard to be what other people needed and wanted. He couldn't stop now, when his most precious goal was finally in sight.
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:34 am
Ah, Kiyoshi even surprised himself on occasions. There were times when his plans worked perfectly and then other times when they barely even got off the ground. It was indeed a sign of better things to come, the shift in the stance of the spirits in this region. They had finally begun to understand his intentions and now they saw, yes they saw that he was the only one who could succeed. His desire to rid the land of the worthless would become a reality and he would at last rule from his frozen throne upon the very peaks.
The spirits had finally relented, those who were 'good' had finally permitted the more logical of their kind to step forward. He was to be aided, encouraged and granted the necessary tools to complete his goals. The naivity of the child, his realisation that only Kiyoshi held the answers was just the beginning. While Bright was unaware of it, his debt would indeed be repaid and it wouldn't be in the most honourable of manners either...But of course, Kiyoshi was not about to tell him that.
"I am always here to assist, you one," he offered a cool smile and his eyes seemed to twinkle with success. "If you should ever have need of me again you need only call and I will find you," he continued. After all, the spirits were now at his command and aided him...they would notify him if any of his new pawns were failures or if they simply needed further guidance and of course, he would remain attentive enough to accomodate them.
Attentive being controlling.
He couldn't afford to provide freedom this time round, Soquili such as these were too vulnerable to their own stupidity if they were granted the opportunity to think.
"You are sure you will be all right?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:11 am
"Alright?"
Bright turned to glance at his orange-hued wing, which still jutted out at an uncomfortable-looking angle. It wasn't as maneuverable as it ought to have been, but with a little time and effort, it would be right back to normal. The colt would work on it as hard as he could, so that he could get back home without a visible wound! It wouldn't do to let his mother think that he was vulnerable. She worried too much already.
"Of course it will! I mean- I'll have to work on it, but so long as you know that something will be alright, and you act like everything is fine, then your body will change to match your expectations. That's how this horn of mine works. All you need is confidence!"
In a way, it was how Bright lived his entire life. He wasn't really sure who he was, behind all the words and smiles and rare traits. But he was certain that if he acted the part people wanted from an alicorn like him, then everything else would fall into place.
"Thank you!"
Sir Kiyoshi seemed to want Bright to be impressed with him. Bright was happy to oblige! He wanted people to like him. If people liked you, that meant you were doing a good job.
((We just about ready to wrap this up? ^_^ ))
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:38 am
[[Yep, this is a wrap. <3]]
Well he certainly hadn't lost his 'spark', it would take significantly more work to coax out that darker side of the foal. However, as Kiyoshi mused over this fact he had to remind himself that one who could 'hide' his deeper desires and secrets was more powerful. Kiyoshi did this... It led to him being presentable one moment and then deadly the next. Perhaps this jolly nature would therefore be permitted to exist, provided that the foal began to understand that the world wasn't a pretty place...it was just wise to hide beneath a mask.
Ah yes, the foal when he matured would make a fantastic weapon. There were few who suspected alicorns, there were few who suspected those with any feathered wings. That light manner that he held and the twinkle in his eye would be the two things the victim would remember before they fell. They would never forget that not everything was what it seemed, even in death.
Nevertheless, Kiyoshi possessed no further ability to aid the foal in terms of his injuries. Kiyoshi's skills revolved around his own body, his ability to regenerate was a genetic trait that only children of his blood would inherit. It was unfortunate, but the longer he considered it the more he began to wonder how well the merging of a unicorn's blood and his own would go. Would they have both healing properties of a horn and his regenerative properties? It was something to consider.
Alas, shaking his head the mutant gave a ruffle of his wings and slowly but surely returned his attention to the lake (and his reflection). The foal was free to go, but Kiyoshi would find him when the time was right for him to repay his debt.
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