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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:46 am
Caution was for the 'weak'! He wasn't entirely sure what that meant right now but in later life he was certain he would. Life was simply too short for him to remain cautious of the world and everything in it. It helped that he was under the ever vigilant and watchful eyes of his parents or brothers on a regular basis but for the most part Fenghuang wasn't adverse to socialising with anyone and anything provided it had the ability to smile and had a sense of humour hidden somewhere deep down in the depths of their personality - he was the optimistic sort and that was unlikely to change.
Thus it was with great pleasure that he took note of the colt's slowly improving body language. Again he wasn't entirely certain of the significance behind it but the tension was slowly lifting and there were definitely hints of a smile in there. It was clear to Fenghuang that all Epsi had needed was for him to show him that there was more to life than hiding in the grass - even if Fenghuang's ideas were potentially suicidal and not necessarily the smartest things that anyone had ever come up with. Well, in later life he could simply argue that his confidence had done wonders for the lilac colt behind him.
Hopefully, there would be others like him too.
Nevertheless as Epsi offered up a hill that wasn't particularly far away the colt's ears perked in interest and he pranced around his lilac friend excitedly. He wasn't aware of this hill, in fact he couldn't actually see it over the grasses and so it was his turn to rely on the intelligence and familiarity that the lilac colt had with the lands. Oho, they actually had HILLS here! Granted they may have to run incredibly fast to fly but damage would be minimal (or so his mother would observe).
"Oh that'd be perfect - wanna show me where it is?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:40 pm
Practically thrumming, pleased with Feng's excitement, Espi's tail wagged back and forth, in an almost canine sort of expression of glee.
While he might find the other's attitude to be slightly reckless, Espi was rapidly coming to think that perhaps it was good, to at least try new things...sometimes.
"Sure!" He didn't even finish speaking before darting off in the aforementioned direction, assuming the other would follow closely behind. Pushing a stray branch out of the way, he wove through the trees easily, obviously familiar with the terrain. "It's not far at all..."
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:10 pm
This terrain was very different from his own, it was so flat in comparison to the hills that on occasions he often misjudged little drops. As with any clumsy foal he staggered, though due to his inexperience in such a land he did it far more than was customary. Alas, such clumsiness was not one to deterr him and with steely determination the colt barreled his way through the grasses and followed the pale tail of his new friend - he had no need to be concerned with his parents and their whereabouts given that both would be able to see him very easily.
It helped to be so bright sometimes!
"What about the other places round here anyway?" Fenghuang cooed, weaving his own way through the overgrown grasses. "I mean I know there's hills and such but don't you guys have other neat stuff too?" Ah, ever the eloquent creature, he found it so very easy to express himself in the most appropriate of ways. Admittedly he was a tad frank but at least there was no room for misunderstanding. "I mean I think you'll really enjoy flyin' but I figure there's other stuff to do too - that's what my mama said anyway!"
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:10 am
While Espi's gait also possessed some of the natural clumsiness that seemed to be inherent in all foals, he was, nonetheless, far more graceful than most, and he ducked a low-slung branch with ease.
"That depends on what you think's neat, I guess?" Espi replied, the words coming in spurts between his pounding hoof-beats. "One of the streams nearby seems to sparkle at the bottom..."
It didn't take long before the grasses thinned, exposing patches of dirt and making movement much easier. Slowing to allow Feng to draw alongside him, Espi motioned with his head to a small rise just before them. "See? There it is..."
His expression was slightly anxious now, as he second guessed himself--what if the other had been expecting something far more impressive.
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:56 pm
Well, the rise wasn't as big as anything on the slopes. In fact, it could scarcely content with the height of some of the things that Fenghuang had attempted to leap off. Unsurprisingly his parents had stopped him on a number of occasions (for obvious reasons) but that had never deterred the child from flying. Secretly, Fenghuang had been born with a desire to fly but it would be many more years before he would learn that he could master the art of flying across the slopes solid group with such grace that those with wings would admire him for stamina, endurance and agility.
Alas the colt was not unimpressed with what he had been shown. His mother had said that everything was rather flat in the lowlands, so to find a hill with that much of an incline was surely impressive! Enthuasiastic as always, he flashed an approving smile towards Espi and gave his rump a little wiggle. While he had the urge to leap off it immediately, he would first have to address the little issue of the glittering lake - he'd seen things like that before in the mountains but the rivers weren't as big where he came from.
"Maybe we can check that out later, we got things like that where I live but the water isn't that deep," he confessed after a few moments before nodding his head at the slope. "Anywho, you up fer learning out to fly?" he enquired with a devillish grin.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 7:30 am
Grinning back, Epi watched his new friend expectantly, pleased at his reaction. Unsure as to just what this "flying lesson" would entail, he was, nonetheless, a combination of nervous (would it hurt?) and excited--if Feng's behavior were any indication, it was pretty fun!
Having spent a lot of time on his own thus far, he was usually his own voice of caution...usually more towards the end of being overly so.
"S...Sure I am!" he exclaimed, his voice firming towards the end of his declaration, as if he were only really now making up his mind to participate, rather than potentially just watch from the sidelines.
Increasingly bold, he cocked his head to the side, looking directly at Feng, his gaze the only thing that wavered, and that only slightly. He was a boy, after all--even if he was a little more tentative than most. "Are you?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 5:59 am
"Pfft, I'm always ready!" Fenghuang announced with such confidence that he soon began to scuttle up the hill to demonstrate. Really, the more he walked up the hill the more he was aware that he simply didn't have a great deal of room to run, but such was the way of things! Surveying his surroundings once he reached the top, he gave his rump a little wriggle and swivelled his ears as he tested the direction of the wind. For all intents and purposes there wasn't any wind...he was almost completely still - this was good for him if only because it meant he wouldn't be blown off course but it did mean he wasn't really 'flying'.
Shame. Shame.
Nevertheless after a few moments he did seem to be reasonably satisfied with the conditions and with a holler (more like a battlecry) he launched himself forward. Launching into a gallop as he began to approach the middle of the hill he leapt from the hill and the ground seemed to 'disappear' from beneath him. In a manner of speaking her was flying, with the air beneath his limbs and no ground to support him he was soaring forward with little to stop him...Except gravity.
No sooner had he leapt into the air than his legs gave a little flail and he came tumbling back down to earth near the bottom of the hill. Rolling in the most undignified of fashions he gave a whoop of joy and soon came to rest in a muddled heap within the grasses. Alas without the traditional length, his peculiar pose was hard to hide but the grin on his equine lips was unmistakable - he was delighted with himself!
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2008 11:36 am
Epi's tail wagged, puppy-like, as he watched Feng clambor up the hill. He envied the other's nerve, and his easygoing confidence. Watching carefully, he wondered at the way Feng swivelled his ears, stopping almost dead in his tracks for a moment, the calm before the storm, so to speak.
It was in this frame of mind that Epi was taken aback, even going so far as to jump half out of his skin, when Feng suddenly cried out, the loud yell completely unexpected. His eyes widened as the other did, indeed, seem to fly...very briefly. Epi winced when Feng hit the ground--that had looked like it hurt! However, judging from his expression...perhaps he was wrong? Falling down had always seemed to hurt in the past, it was true--but maybe there was something to be said for falling in that particular way? (Not having rough-housed with other foals before, Epi had yet to realize that there were times where the fun involved in getting minor bruises and such often was enough to make said small injuries worthwhile).
Only slightly more hesitant than Feng had been, Espi made his own way up the hill, tail twitching with anxiety--hopefully, he did this right...
Mimicking Feng's 'battle cry', Espi's voice cracked, the sound coming out more of a panicked squeal as he launched himself into the air, closing his eyes as he felt the ground drop out beneath him...and for the barest instant, he understood what Feng had meant by 'flying'...and then, it was over, and he opened his eyes just in time to see the ground rushing up to meet him, his legs buckling as he tumbled, landing in a heap. Slowly, he pushed himself into a sitting position, blinking as he realized that, while he'd be sporting a few new bruises, that had, indeed, been fun.
"I really flew, didn't I?" He said a moment later, eyes gleaming as he looked around for Feng--surely the other had seen it, right?.
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:32 am
So somewhere deep down there was a child prepared to have a little fun. For all his caution Epi had taken the plunge and to what end? Well, for a start he had experienced 'flight' in the only way one without wings could and in another...he had realised that landing in a heap wasn't the most horrible thing to do. Fenghuang could most certainly think of worse things that could happen to him, a few bumps and bruises here and there were just battlescars to show off to friends - and perhaps in later life, to show off to mares in an attempt to woo them alongside the use of roguish charms and courtship... Not that this was on Feng's radar for the time being, he was merely thrilled that his new friend had actually taken part in what most would have considered an utterly ridiculous scheme.
So his battlecry needed a little work but he had flown far further than Feng had given his otherwise 'light' weight. Ah yes, the colt was satisfied with his friend's performance and the stupid grin upon his equine lips should have spoken volumes. His entire expression was that of boyish delight and even as he clambered back onto his hooves and gave his rump a little shake to restore feeling he couldn't contain himself. It was just a shame that these hills weren't as big as the ones at home...encouraging Epi to progress to much higher leaps would've been so much fun!
"You did fly, you really did!" Feng confirmed and nudged lightly at the lilac colt's cheek. "How'd you find it? Sometimes it's a little strange the first time but after that it gets better - especially on higher jumps. My papa says leaping into water is a lot of fun too but Mama won't let me try yet," he sighed mournfully at this and shook his head. "Not as scary as it looks, eh?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:02 pm
Scrambling to his feet, wriggling, Espi pranced in a circle around Feng, pleased as punch as he basked in the glow of his newfound 'success', not to mention the approval of this new friend. Finally coming to a stop, he grinned. He couldn't believe what he'd been missing out on! Sure, his knees hurt a bit, but not nearly as much as he'd expected them to.
"So what else do you like to do?" He asked a moment later, nearly wriggling, curiosity at the forefront--what else had he been missing out on? It was doubtful that this newfound outgoingness would last long beyond this encounter, as a whole--but perhaps it would serve as a reminder that not every new encounter was potentially painful, or worth fearing.
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:16 am
What did he liked to do...? The most appropriate question was probably in relation to what Fenghuang didn't like to do. He seemed to be made of pure energy and, if he wasn't giving his mother mini-panic attacks at his suicidal tendencies he was off doing something else that made another individual place a paw to their face or raise a brow in surprise. Really the little colt didn't stop doing peculiar things and it was just as well that his family were capable of coping with his boundless energy.
"Well, see we do lots of things up in the hills," he began, his ears twitching as he subconciously took the opportunity to snuffle the air for signs of his parents. Adventurous as he may have been, he was one who still liked to snuggle up against his mother at night. Luckily for him both parents were still near by and it was highly likely they were watching his antics too. "There's tree sparring and I tell ya those trees can hit ya pretty hard sometimes..." He began, unaware that many would find the idea of fighting trees to be ridiculous.
"Then you got fishing which is cool - my mama is still the best in the whole herd at it but I'm aimin' te beat her record. Then ya got berry pickin', hiking and exploring all the really spooky caves...but Papa won't let me near the caves with the snow around," he pulled a face at this. "What about you?"
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:29 am
Tree sparring? Fishing? He'd never even heard of these things, let alone done them before...
Shaking his head, Epi looked ever-so-slightly put out--hearing about all of these activities, he felt...almost left out. Especially after having just discoevered the (perhaps dubious to some) fun of 'flying'. Having already doubted this new friend's opinion once, and been proven wrong, he was inclined to trust that if Feng did these things regularly, they were not only perfectly normal, but fun, as well.
"I explore a lot...and I hide really well!" He spent a great deal of his time either avoiding things that spooked him, or hiding and waiting for them to pass him by.
"And sometimes I play tag..." This was often one-sided, and entailed him chasing an unfortunate chipmunk around an empty meadow. Shifting his weight from one fore-hoof to the other, he eyed Feng curiously for a moment, unable to resist asking one question. "How do you fish, anyway?" They always seemed to move way too quickly for it to be possible...
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:07 am
No doubt that if Feng had known the workings of Epi's mind he would have requested his mother adopt him as a new brother. Alas, Epi was spared such 'drama' and was granted Feng's full attention and avid interest. He had tried playing hide and seek in the slopes, in spring it was easier because of the flowers but in winter it wasn't possible. Tag was a bit of an issue too, given that balance on the slopes was often questionable and no parent was content to have their child tumble off a nearby cliff! In a manner of speaking he could have related with Epi to a point when it came to 'missing out' but then again his father would have pointed out that it all boiled down to different cultures - Lowland soquili did things differently.
Nevertheless, he gave an excited wiggle of his rump as his new friend enquired to the art of fishing. Brimming with pride, he brought himself up to his full though still diminuative height and grinned. To him, it seemed this 'fishing' thing was something that only really occured in his family and to teach someone else was like inviting them to some sort of secret society! Ridiculous idea in itself, but few could blame a child for his innocence.
"Well see, there's an art to it," he began at last and shook his head. His expression became sage and he leant in almost conspiratorially. "You have to be really quiet and stay very still, then just at the right moment you have to swoop them out of the water and toss them real high into the air!" he announced with a giggle. "Cept it's hard to explain without seein' it ye know?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 8:36 pm
Epi barely refrained from giggling, unconsciously echoing Feng's rump-wriggle as he watched the other foal straighten. Surely, with that sort of preparation, he was going to share something important!
Suitably awed, Epi leaned in as well, not wanting to miss a single word of the 'wisdom' the other foal was imparting. "Aren't fish way too fast, though?" He'd seen them darting just beneath the surface before, sillvery flashes of color. Maybe one day he'd get to see it done, he thought, tail wagging from side to side as he tried to imagine a soquili catching one of those nimble fish!
"So you've caught one before, too?" He asked, eyes wide, burgeoning hero worship showing clearly on his face. Feng was a lot like that cool older brother that a younger sibling would idolize, and want to be just like,
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Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:54 am
"They do move pretty fast which is why ye gotta be super patient with them," he explained gently, his ears swivelling somewhat as he caught the audible murmurs of his parents on the wind. By the sounds of things, Grencia and Yei Umeko had both moved just a little to mirror their son and were still nearby. That being said they had still provided him with ample privacy and plenty of space to play in. "You have to be real still so they think you're like... a plant!" he emphasised the last part and then demonstrated, placing his legs squarely beneath him, he dropped his head slightly as though inspecting the water and then held it. Unfortunately he lacked the patience and discipline to hold this position for a long time and he soon began to quiver to the point that he was forced to left his head again and giggle. "See? Cause when you stop moving then they come really close...some even try to nibble on your legs but it doesn't hurt..."
"I caught one once though, it was real big too!" he announced proudly. This wasn't strictly true, it had been terribly small in comparison to the fish in the lowlands but he'd been ecstatic. It had taken him all day and his mother had been an absolute saint that day to remain with him until he had been successful - granted, she was cheering him on the whole time instead of getting exasperated but still... "But I tossed it up at a wierd angle and my momma's human had to pick it up and put it into the water real quick again," he shook his head slowly at this, his expression a little grim.
"S'only thing you gotta be careful of, the fish can't breathe like us out of the water so when you're fishing you have to make sure they can jump back into the water again. So you gotta toss 'em up straight and not over yer head which is kinda hard... you know?"
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