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 Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 7:37 pm
"Call me Silarial," she said, stretching out her legs, which were slightly stiff. "I'm a little lazy when it comes to swimming, I'm afraid; I prefer to just stand there and let the water run by me. Besides, there's very little point swimming unless you're going somewhere and someone's by your side..."
She trailed off, saddened by memories of a childhood spent alone. Even now she was more distant from Alu and Khalidia than the two of them together, and it would probably be the same with Toshiro and Xiang. It sure was easy to tell when two Kirin were a couple.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm hungry. Care to join me for breakfast? The closest edible things are..." The stone mare cast about on the spot, then pointed with her nose along the bank they were on. "Thataway."
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:04 pm
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Silarial," Toshiro responded with a genuine smile when she told them her name. He listened thoughtfully as she spoke briefly of swimming in answer to Xiang's question. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he had seen the slightest bit of sadness in her eyes when she trailed off, but it was very brief. Perhaps his mind was simply playing tricks on him. "Breakfast doesn't sound like such a bad idea," he said with a small chuckle. "Hungry, Xiang?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:17 pm
Xiang smiled and bowed her head to Silarial. "I love to swim-" she started, and stopped when she thought Silarial looked sad. Hearing her "brother" call out about breakfast and being hungry, she called back, "Yeah, you go on ahead, I'll catch up!"
She turned back to Silarial. "Is something wrong?" she asked, indicating with her head that they should follow Toshiro. "Do you miss someone? Is that why you don't swim?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:36 pm
"Keep going straight until you see the berry bushes. Can't miss'em." Silarial told Toshiro as he led the way. She lowered her voice as she addressed Xiang, who was trotting beside her.
"That's the problem... I've never had anyone in the first place, so I have nobody to miss. It's, er, kind of difficult to pair up with someone when you don't exactly fit the standard idea of attractive."
Inwardly disgusted at her self-pity, she suddenly smiled warmly and thought aloud, but not loudly enough for the stallion to hear: "You two are pretty lucky to have found each other this young. I wish I had a willing mate who cared for me as much as he does for you."
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:43 pm
Xiang stopped dead. "We're not a couple," she said softly. "We're brother and sister; how could we be anything else?" she asked in confusion. She shook her head. "Anyway, I think you're really pretty, and really amazing, Silarial. Maybe you haven't met the right stallion yet?" Anything to get away from that taboo subject of her "brother"'s feelings for her. They just felt so wrong, it was a little uncomfortable to stand close to him, but she couldn't tell him that: she was his "sister!"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:48 pm
Toshiro went ahead and lead the way while the two female followed behind, talking in hushed voices to each other. He wondered vaguely about the topic of conversation, but at the same time he thought that it would perhaps be best not to pry. Sure enough, the stallion was able to find the berries right where Silarial had directed him. "Why don't you ladies eat first," he said, stepping out of the way and turning back to face them with a smile. His ears flickered slightly as he noticed an odd expression on Xiang's face. "Is something the matter?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:52 pm
If Silarial's skin had been normal, her embarrassment would have been obvious - instead her profuse blush barely showed as a pink shade on her face. Her next words were audible to all and sundry.
"Oh! I am sorry, the two of you were travelling together and... and I made an assumption. My apologies. So, who were your parents and why did you leave them?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:57 pm
Xiang said quietly, "Toshiro got separated by accident, and I hatched all alone. We're not brother and sister in the strict sense of the words, but we're still siblings to each other." Then she realized that Toshiro had stopped at the bushes and was looking at her worriedly. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong," she said, forcing a laugh that said she'd realized her "brother" had doubtless heard her last comments. Shaking her head, she looked toward the delicious berries, and said "Thanks" in a way that implied she was sorry he had to hear that last bit, if it offended him. It was more of a sisterly tone--not the tone of a mate to her partner.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:05 pm
Toshiro nodded lightly in agreement with Xiang's words, though the last part he wasn't exactly 'thrilled' about. Sure, always sort of knew that Xiang saw him strictly as a brother, but hearing it just sort of put the nail in the coffin so to speak. "If you're sure then," he said with a faint smile, making more room so that the mares could eat. Though this was in reply to nothing being wrong, it registered momentarily in his mind that it could be taken two ways. The stallion cleared his throat to interrupt what was in his mind just a slightly awkward moment and turned to Silarial again with a smile. "Please, have some berries yourself. There's more than enough."
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:00 pm
 Caydeyrn got up fairly early, even before the sun had come up. Up before the sun and he decided that he would move further into the forest. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath taking in the smells of the forest all around him. His butterfly wings twitched smelling other Kirin deeper in the woods. Should he go and find them or stay by himself as always? This was the question that lurked with in the large Kirin's mind.
He pawed at the ground unable to make up his mind on what he should do at the moment so instead of thinking about he decided he should look for some breakfast. He needed to feed his protesting stomach. He wandered for a bit looking for something that would feed his need, that and something that would he would enjoy. As he wandered he kept his neck held high, walking with slight elegance. The sunlight reflected off of his butterfly wings making the light 'dance' in all directions.
As he walked his mind began to wander a bit, thinking about other things, mainly thinking about things about life itself. Before he knew it he found himself walking in upon a few other kirin. Two female and another male. Looks like he had no choice now in finding them. While his mind was on other things he had neglected his sense of smell as well as hearing.
His eyes fell upon the group, falling upon the females first. Finding himself staring he shook his head, doubting that they even knew he was there. Then his eyes fell upon the male and he gave a small 'snort' he disliked other males. He never knew why just did, his ears shifted back showing his distaste for the other.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:08 pm
Before Silarial could respond, Toshiro looked up to see another male in their presence. He had been too absorbed in his thoughts and the current situation to even notice the other's approach until now. "Greetings," he said politely, ignoring the stranger's immediate dislike for him. It seemed a fairly normal reaction for males of their kind not to be very fond of each other, but that didn't ever stop the chocolate stallion from being courteous. He had to say though, the giant pair of wings on the other's back were quite intriguing.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:20 pm
Silarial looked from sister to brother and back again, at a loss for words... it was now fairly obvious that they didn't have the same idea of their relationship, and Toshiro was finding out only now.
"Well uh, I'll tell you about the berries, shall I? The purple ones are kind of spicy for some reason, but the bright reds ones can be either very sweet or very sour. If you eat them in bunches the sour taste usually goes away... Oh my."
The ending part of her long discourse was in response to the appearance of a rather stunning new stranger. The stone mare gazed it him with cool approval, then gave a worried glance to Xiang. What if he should try to court Xiang now, right after she had rejected Toshiro? The poor brown stallion!
"Hello, stranger..." She said, warily, after Toshiro's short salutation. "What brings you to this part of the forest?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:22 pm
Xiang was about to start into the berries, eyes turned firmly away from her "brother," when light flashed in her emerald eyes. Surprised by the sudden dancing after-images, she saw the source of the reflections, a handsome black stallion with a burning mane, tail, and horn, and great, fiery butterfly wings. He was utterly amazing, and she couldn't help but stare. Realizing she was staring at the magnificent wonder, and that he probably wasn't interested in her, not that she deserved it, not after how her brother knew her true feelings by accident, she managed to drag her gaze away and focus her attention instead on the berries.
She felt guilty; she'd hurt her "brother" with her words, which she'd never wanted to do. But lying and letting him believe that she had feelings for him would scare her and make her feel even more guilty. The pain and the guilt about the painful, unspoken words between her and her "brother," all the hopes she'd had to dash because she didn't see him as a mate, just her dearest "brother," caused a few salt tears to trickle down her face.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:34 pm
Toshiro wasn't surprised by the mares' reaction to the newcomer- he was quite the sight after all. He was caught off-guard however when he suddenly spied his 'sister' crying. "Xiang, what's wrong?!" he whispered to the mare in quiet alarm, nudging her lightly with his nose. He wracked is brains, but he couldn't possibly think of what might have triggered her crying. He hadn't said anything to upset her, had he? Maybe he had. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, still not entirely sure if he was the cause or not.
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Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:44 pm
Cadeyrn ignored the other stallion, his head shifting towards the female who had spoken ignoring the other female all together. The one who spoke was quite interesting, almost intriguing in a sense. His eyes began to take in every detail about this one, the color of her skin, mane, tail and eyes. He almost forgot that she had even asked him a question.
It was the sound of the other stallion's voice again which had brought him out of his staring and observing of the female. It took him a while before he could remember the question she had asked him. His tail flicked and his wings shifted. "Wandering, and looking for breakfast," he replied, "And it seems I've found it," It was to late to stop his last part the words already flying out of his mouth. Soon a slight sheepish grin came to his face, trying to hide the fact and the words he had just said to the mare.
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