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 Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:30 pm
It wasn't that Ehren was frightened in any way, it was more an extreme lack of experience that kept his manner closed and upright.
"I have met no other mare but you and a couple of strangers who simply passed through.. Other than family of course.," he replied, deep voice a little husky, self-conscious in his inexperience.
He had caught her puzzled look, white ears flicking briefly as she questioned his comment. "Ahh.... well..." he hesitated, taking a slow breath as if gathering his thoughts into a more cohesive reply.
"Our father seems to have been brought over from another existence. It must sound.. odd.. to you, but he was something else before he came to this plane as a soquili. At least that is how I understand it. He came from a place called The Great Demon Kingdom, and was the ruler of that land along with a circle of advisors." He trailed off, tucking his head in as he stared at the ground between them, waiting for her to laugh at him, or perhaps become nervous at the mention of demons and leave... Either option was unplesent and he found himself glancing up, hoping that maybe somehow, she wouldn't find him freakish.. as slim as that chance seemed.
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 9:02 am
Marut moved her legs, they were starting to stiffen up from standing in one place for so long.
'So no mate then?' she repeated, cheekily grinning this time. Of course she thought about that stuff herself, but more of a 'gawd I wish my mother would stop nagging me about my appearance so that I can get a mate'. Which would likely never happen, weren't guys just around for playing with?
'Great Demon Kingdom?' Marut had not heard of that place, and was puzzled at the name of it. Demons did not scare her away however, for her family had it's own share of those.
'Is that where Kalona's hail from?'
She knew they were described as being evil, demon-like Soquili, so she figured the two might be linked.
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 10:56 am
Ehren felt his cheeks warm at her smile, but it wasn’t due to any discontent or upset at her expression. He did manage to bob his head in agreement while he struggled to re-find his already shy voice. “Yes.. that is correct. I.. do not know much about mates, other than my parents. I suspect I myself will find one in time..” He wasn’t sure how one went about finding a mate.. but he supposed, that as others have done it, he would too, eventually.
He nodded a little more confidently at her replay of the name of his father’s land. Though the question puzzled him. “Kalonas? I have to admit that I am unsure. The little I know about kalones hails only from stories I’ve overheard and a few rumours. I have yet to meet one such a Kalona in order to ask. But, as the land is elsewhere, and from what I can understand you have to travail through water to get to it.. I am not sure the two are connected. But the Great Demon Kingdom is populated by Demon tribesman.. I guess it is not too far of a stretch if their name has simply changed from that to Kalona. As I think Kalona means demon in some other tongue.” He looked thoughtful, the stiff shyness fading as he puzzled over the possible connections.
Tilting his head he suddenly blinked. "If that is true.. then it must mean I am related to them somehow, being the son of the Great Demon King reborn." He frowned, getting himself confused in all the threads of his thoughts.
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:39 am
'Well my mother sort of blames herself for how I turned out,' Marut said with a broad smile.
'Marut is a boy's name, and she named me by mistake right after haven given birth. When she realised, she tried to change my name, but I never answered to the new one, and I grew up sparring, and racing and getting into a mucky state the same as my brothers.' she paused, getting to the actual point of her little explanation.
'Soo, she keeps trying to get me to look pretty..or in my case remotely well-groomed so that I can one day attract a mate. She thinks if I'm romantically tangled then I'll act more like a mare.' she shrugged. In her mind love was an abstract thought where it didn't concern her family.
'Well, I could ask my Grandmother, but I'm sure she'd sooner attack me then speak with me.' she chuckled.
'I'm a quarter Kalona on my mother's side.'
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:13 pm
Blinking, the tall stallion stared at Marut in complete surprise, brows lifted. He certainly hadn't expected anything like that!
"... What is wrong with how you 'turned out'?" He asked, shocked. He listened to her politely, though still looked confused as she continued. "I.... " he shut his jaw again, unsure how to respond. he thought that her childhood sounded a lot more.. lively, than his own. He had devoted himself from an early age to learning the right habits.. trying to please his father by being polite and correct. A male worthy of his family name.
Ehren had a little bit of an insecurity about his position in the family. The youngest of three sons he often felt like he had to be perfect in order to fit in and make his father and mother proud of him.
After a pause he looked at her in puzzlement. "You don't act like a mare now?" He questioned. "Though I am not sure how being... entangled, would change someone's behaviour.." He added, puzzled.
Her mention of being attacked made him instantly frown, powerful wings ruffling slightly. "Maybe not the best idea in that case." He replied. "I doubt it matters enough to risk asking.. a quarter?" He thought about it for a moment. "May I ask.. what else are you then? I’m half flutter and half wind." he paused and frowned. "Or.. half demon-wind.. I suppose." he gave a rolling shrug with one wing. The whole Demon King spirit thing his father had going on was a little confusing, even for him still.
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:24 pm
'Nothing as far as I can see.' Marut grinned and added;
'Don't get me wrong, my mother does love me, even when I do turn up for a visit looking like a cross between a wind blown bush and a birds nest, but I think parental issues of her own make her wish for mutual harmony for all us children.'
Marut didn't often talk this much, she felt as though she were making up for the relative reticence of Ehren.
'I suppose she knows that often males can care about that sort of thing, and that beating them up or winning in races dents their egos? So she thinks if I look presentable that would help.'
She wrinkled her nose in thought.
'I don't know? Do I? It's not like I can look outside myself.' she laughed.
'I don't act much like my mother or sister is all I know.'
Marut tilted her head and then replied;
'My mother is half-kalona, half-wind, my father is a grounded. So I'm a bit of everything but only show the grounded side. Two of my brothers have physical Kalona traits though.'
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Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 2:52 pm
Ehren couldn't help the smile that curled his muzzle briefly at her description. "I am not entirely sure what a cross between a 'wind blow bush and a bird's nest' would look like.. but I can't really imagine you looking like one." He admitted, rumbling voice warming up for the first time.
"But if you 'beat them up' or win a race with them.. it simply means you are better or faster than they are. That is hardly worth getting upset over on the male's behalf. Certainly they shouldn't let it bother them that much. I can not see what gender has to do with how well trained or naturally talented a soquili is.."
He smiled briefly at her laughter, apparently starting to relax a little now. "I am afraid I am not the one to ask.. we three are all male and the only females I know, as I said, are our mother and aunt. They are hardly of the age that we are."
He tilted his head, studying her for a moment, dark stormy eyes intent. "You... don't have wings.." he suddenly murmured, sounding surprised. he hadn't truly looked.. distracted rather by her markings and pleasant appearance. he had assumed that most soquili had wings yet.. she didn't. How could she fly without them? Well, obviously he knew she didn't.. but the idea of not flying was like a cold kick to his gut. He couldn't bear the idea of never taking to the skies..
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 6:44 am
'My hair and mane at their bedraggled worst basically.' Marut grinned.
'And oh yes, I can. You should hear my mother when I do turn up back home looking like that. It's kind of fun.'
It was sort of. Marut made jokes about her appearance, but she was increasingly starting to care..well slightly, as to what she looked like outwardly. Maybe the girlyness was just late kicking in. She still thought that having fun was more important than making sure ones mane was perfectly groomed.
'Well it shouldn't, but I think it does to some. I'm meant to be all pretty.' she coughed, remembering how Raniero looked. After all, if that's what he felt a proper mare disguise was, she had no chance getting a mate. Wasn't that good though?. The more she thought on the subject, the more confused her point of view seemed to get.
'Yes?' Marut laughed, trying to turn at see her back.
'No I don't, unless.' she looked from side to side as though about to say something secret.
'They've been invisible this whole time!' she giggled as she joked.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:14 am
Ehren tilted his head, giving her mane a thorough look-over. "I can't see anything wrong with how you are now.. After all, you only need to go clean up in the river to get rid of mud right?" He glanced back at his own pure-white body. Even though he was far from rambunctious, having a coat as pale as his made it painfully easy to look filthy. Not that he made any special effort with his own appearance, other than trying to keep his mane from strangling him or getting in the way.
He made a soft noise in the back of his throat, looking down at the grass between them, one unusual turquoise-green hoof scraping over the ground distractedly. "No 'ment' about it.. you are. Bird's nest hair and all.." he murmured, voice soft and shy all over again.
Clearing his throat he looked back up. He believed in telling the truth, and if that wasn't an option, then avoiding a lie. And he had spoke the truth to Marut, even if it did turn his cheeks pink momentarily. He had never been good around strangers, though he was beginning to think of her as less of a a stranger now.
Her sudden secretive looks piqued his interest and he leaned forwards, looking puzzled as she turned to whisper to him. He startled at her words, blinking in shock before realising she was laughing. "Ahh.. forgive me. That was a pretty nonsensical thing to say yes?" He blushed for real this time, pale coat unable to conceal the dark tint under it. "I just.. have never met a soquili without wings." Even his aunt was a flutter. He tilted his head at her, stormy eyes dark, thoughtful.
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:23 am
'Well yes, but then I end up playing 'see how long I can hold my breath underwater', rather than getting clean. Though I suppose that sort of sorts it as well.'
Marut blinked at his next words, trying to work out what he meant.
'Oh, oh, thank you.' she said, giving her lower lip a soft gnaw. Compliments towards her speed and strength were happily acknowledged. Complimenting her looks made her feel awkward for a short while.
'You look good yourself,' she replied quickly.She shook her head, veering away from the only thing that could make her blush.
'I'm sorry, I was just teasing, Couldn't help myself really. And you haven't? Wow, there are plenty of us out there, more so than the winged ones I am sure.'
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Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:20 am
Ehren grinned. "And how long can you? That’s a game I think I might be fairly good at.." His family did, after all, have some kind of weird connection to water..
Her sudden shy reaction puzzled him, head tilting and accidentally sending his forelock falling over his face. Shaking to dislodge it again he flung his head upwards sharply, tossing the length of hair away from his face and back over his neck. Pausing he blinked at her rushed comment, bobbing his head slowly. "Ahh... thank you..." He rumbled in reply, not sure how he was supposed to respond to that.. No one had ever said that to him before.
Letting her change the subject back he dipped his head, though caught the movement short before his fringe could get in the way again. Really.. he needed to find some way of cutting it off somehow..
"I haven't." he agreed easily. "Really? I certainly have lived a sheltered life then haven't I?" He chuckled softly. "I’ve never met a Kalona, or a Grounded, well, until today anyway for the second."
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:03 pm
Marut thought before answering;
'Quite long I think? I'm not sure exactly because it's hard to keep time other than counting in my head, and I don't think that's too accurate.' she nodded.
His reaction to her own poor attempt at a compliment pretty much mirrored her own, though she found that slightly confusing. Given his looks, surely anyone he met would say something similar, if not more eloquent. She remembered though that he'd not met too many Soquilis..
'Yes?' she agreed with a broad smile.
'You just need to get out there more. But,' she cautioned.
'Not everyone with even a small amount of Kalona blood will be as friendly as I am, so be careful who you become friendly with.'
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:05 pm
Ehren gave a small nod, moving his muzzle more than his whole head as he sought to keep his hair out the way. He wondered how Marut coped with her mane, for it was about as long as his own.
he listened to her warning with a serious face, mulling it over for a minute before looking back at the mare. "Then mayhaps I should stick with you for a while?" He asked with a sudden smile, his tone almost becoming playful. His expression turned serious again as he studied her. "If you would consider it... maybe I could travail with you for a short distance? You certainly know a lot more about other soquili than myself."
Pale ears flicked forwards as he shifted on his hooves, slowly starting to wonder if maybe he should not have asked... was it something one could ask upon first meeting? Or had he just offended her? He flicked his tail, irritated at himself for his naivety.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:47 am
Marut didn't exactly cope with her mane, just put up with it until such time as she got so annoyed with it obscuring her view that she flicked it out of the way. Most of the time when she wasn't actively talking to someone she just let it flop across her face.
'If you want? I wasn't exactly doing anything terrible exciting, though I suppose I should pop along and say hello to my mother. She tends to get annoyed if she finds out I've been in the area and not gone to see her.' she grinned.
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:26 pm
The stillness in the stallion's stance relaxed as Marut agreed readily, and didn't seem angry with him. Bobbing his head in confirmation, his long mane slithered forwards, falling over his face in a sudden mass of glossy dark bangs, making the stallion shake his head to get rid of it.
Once the wild mass was sufficiently tamed he looked back at her. "I would appreciate it if you would. I rather feel as if I am.. at a painful disadvantage. I do not want to be so naive about the world that I can not converse with those like yourself. If meeting other soquili will correct that in myself, then I certainly need to try."
He paused and tilted his head slightly as he studied her. "I owe you a debt for your help, Marut." He added solemnly.
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