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 Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:59 am
Raniero had been stunned by the stupidity of others before and he was not prepared to suffer the same reaction at the hands of another. His dry tone had therefore been both in jest and to double check that she really wasn't being so foolish. Had she been a foal it would have been excusable (obviously) but she wasn't. As a result, his eyes flickered with relief for a brief moment and he released a sigh. She may have her moments when she made ridiculous comments or inaccurate observations but she still had intelligence hidden beneath that rather long forelock. Nevertheless, there was something about the tone of her voice that did make him crack a smile - sarcasm was the best form of humour in his opinion.
That and dark comedy.
One couldn't have a clean sense of humour when they were brought up in a family like his. One always had a very warped view of society when raised by Paramekia and so his jokes were often questionable. They generally came in the form of observations and even then it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious until you looked in to his eyes. Perhaps in a former life he had been a stand up comedian, only they were capable of keeping straight faces in such circumstances.
"Do not assume that I could not give an answer," he pointed out quietly. "I will have you know I am an avid weatherman, Soquili are not the only thing I observe," he did of course sound completely serious, no semblance of humour on his face. Then, within a huge seconds he had released a snort and rolled his shoulders. "It would be a guess but it would still be an answer," he mused after a few moments and shook his head. He wasn't a fan of guessing, unless there was some substance behind it then it was bound to be wrong unless you had insane levels of luck - and he didn't have insane levels of luck.
"But most would know how I feel about being wrong."
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:30 am
Marut found herself looking at him longer than she should do, especially when he smiled. His whole face transformed when that happened, and he looked to her not only handsome as she'd thought he was before, but nice as well. What are you thinking? she questioned herself, curious as to why her thoughts had gone down that road. She looked away swiftly, back out at the safe rain.
When she was sure she could look at him again, she did so, grinning at his levity.
'Well I won't tease you too much if you did make an educated guess and it turned out to be wrong.'
Now she was hoping that the rain did stop soon. Being this close was making her mind and body have new, and disturbing thoughts. Maybe the chill had affected her..
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:44 am
It was not his fault that he was devilishly handsome (or so his brother often jested). Perhaps in time she would grow to understand why he had experience with mare's despite his apparent arrogance. He had moments of clarity where he could actually be reasonably approachable. Admittedly these only occured when he wasn't musing over his research, mostly during his vacation period but it did indicate he wasn't completely ignorant to the existence of female kind. On the contrary he was more than happy to take note of the beauty of another while he was otherwise occupied, he may not act on it but he could recall it.
It was just as well that he couldn't read her mind at this point given that it was highly likely he would have very gently teased and coaxed her about her changing behaviour. It would have been completely deadpan, almost serious and most likely infuriating but he wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to point such things out. She had spoken a number of times about how tomboyish she was and yet here, in this rain and under these trees she was discovering that a tomboy she may be but she was still a mare.
...And a grown one at that.
Raniero's gaze shifted briefly to watch as she averted her gaze and his smile shifted somewhat. His expression became unreadable at this point as he mused over the possible reasons for such a sudden aversion. The first reason might be that she had been distracted by something and so he had followed her gaze - to see nothing he hadn't seen before. However, logically speaking she was 'distracted' for too long for this to be a reasonable excuse and as such he had to consider other possibilities. His musings still continued even as she finally returned his gaze and spoke again. Reference to 'teasing' simply made him smirk, he had always been good at selective hearing and could most likely ignore her teasing but he would humour her for the time being.
"If it will settle your nerves somewhat," he offered at last, indicating that he had seen her odd behaviour though he was still musing over the reasons behind it. "I would say it shouldn't last much longer, an Autumn shower at best. Heavy but short in duration..."
There, let him be wrong about that!
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:55 am
'Nerves? I'm not nervous about anything,' Marut replied, but her grin was forced this time. What had he noticed? He was observant, and analysed everything, and so now she was slightly jumpy inside, curious as to what in her behaviour had given her away. Of course, she was emotionally naive when it came to attraction, and how her body language would give her away, but she was hoping he was just guessing..and then she remembered he didn't like to do that.
Rain, please, please stop. She prayed silently now, looking out from the canopy, up to the sky and at the grey clouds. Marut ventured a look at Raniero, and scrambled for something to say.
'Do you have grandparents, are you close to them?'
Of course that line of conversation might lead to her own Kalona heritage, but even that was less awkward than whatever burgeoning feelings his proximity had awakened.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:31 am
Now it was just obvious, the forced smile spoke volumes and it took all of Raniero's self control to behave himself. He had noticed she was acting peculiar, but now she was just an open book. The shifty behaviour and forced grin were more than enough to make him realise that it was [ihim that was causing the problems. Oddly enough, she had seemed content to be in his presence previously so what had happened since? Ha! If he were his brother he would have laughed and jested, perhaps even burst into song about the fact that she'd realised he was really quite attractive.
...So much for being a complete tomboy, eh?
Nevertheless he simply arched a brow and received her forced smile with reasonably good humour. There was no reason to torture a poor mare who was already in conflict with herself. Her anxieties and flinching were enough to indicate she wasn't comfortable - ahaha...though when she opted to pursue further conversation than leave he really did have to lock his jaw somewhat to prevent himself from smirking in any type of knowing fashion. Well, every mare had to realise she was female eventually, even if it took a humid forest and pouring rain to do it.
Unfortunately though, the topic she had chosen to continue with wasn't the most fluffy one in the world for him. She might have considered it a potentially harmless question but this wasn't the case. Ever the unphased stallion though, he simply informed her of the truth without a semblance of guilt or horror in his voice, on the whole he seemed have little concern for the extremity of his past. "My father killed my Grandfather and my Uncle for the Alpha role in his herd," he shrugged loosely. "My Grandmother remains alive yet insisted that my father 'find' what he once was and as a result currently lives in the Kawani."
It wasn't his place to enquire about her, particularly when she was fidgeting enough already. Really, he had half a mind to dismiss himself and get drench on the way home so that she would stop!
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:01 am
'Oh,' Marut relaxed very slightly, his murdering relation a distraction from whatever hormones had started to finally rear their head. And she thought her own family was strange!
'I was thinking that it was unusual for the fact that my Grandmother tried to kill my mother, she's a Kalona, and my sister lives in fear that she'll find us, and kill us for being so diluted of Kalona blood, or for not being predators.'
She kicked at the ground;
'Grandmother would be proud of my brother though,' she commented, quietly and waspishly.
'Families are..well there's a reason I don't stay at home too much.'
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:04 pm
"Every family has a black sheep and it's own issues to deal with," Raniero shrugged loosely, seemingly unphased by her confession. Really, he had heard quite enough about in fighting to consider it old news. Every family had its fights and arguments, they all had their drama and it placed strain upon the relationships time and time again. There were those who grew stronger as a result or became closer with a particular family member but for the most part disputes were bound to happen to a certain degree. Admittedly the majority of families had more tame disputes than either Marut or he were acustomed to...
"More to the point the majority of Kalona are renowned for their taste for meat and their pride in their own blood, those who are not of pure blood are generally regarded with scorn," he wasn't the most tactful of individuals but tact had never gotten him far in life. Blunt honesty was easier to understand, it wasn't easier to listen to but it was there all the same. The fact that her grandmother was a Kalona was certainly interesting, but it also gave said Grandmother reason enough to behave poorly.
"Your mother has kept you safe this long, your sister should have the intelligence to realise that she will keep doing so," he pointed out wisely. He was aware that certain individuals had irrational fears but after years of peace, it should have been obvious that she would remain unharmed. A step in the right direction, a tentative nudge and perhaps that sister would open her eyes. It was none of his concern, all creatures acted in accordance with her own desires and he hadn't the patience to change them or encourage such a change.
"One can demonstrate they are the most powerful within their family, if they are able to leap into the flames and endure these disputes. So long as their heads are held high, they will be regarded with far more respect and will reveal they have far more integrity than those who simply flee when the strain becomes too much..."
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Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:45 pm
'My mother says that the fear is an irrational one, she's always protected us. I think my sister cannot help her fear though. I think that she knows it is slightly silly to keep worrying so much, especially as our Grandmother has yet to find our birth lands but still..' Marut looked off into the distance, thinking about Maharet this time.
'I find myself wanting to meet her sometimes, my Grandmother I mean.' she looked back at Raniero.
'Just to see, where I come from, and maybe see what it is that drives my brother.'
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:13 am
Hrm...?
Raniero met the mare's gaze and arched a brow at her statement. While there was no immediate question posed, the manner in which it had been voiced seemed to require some sort of confirmation. A part of him disputed this fact, though another part of him questioned if she was looking for some form of encouragement. Really his input was irrelevant given that ninety percent of mares tended to do what they wanted whenever they wanted. He could have said 'that would be a bad idea' and there was a very good chance the mare would do it anyway.
Thus it should have come as no surprise that the stallion opted to refrain from commenting and instead returned his amber gaze to the forest's edge. He regarded the drizzling rain in silence, ears swivelling and twitching in accordance with the 'pitter' and 'patter' of each droplet as it disturbed the leaves that graced the canopy. "Your mother has protected you all these years for a reason," he voiced at last.
"If you believe you are able to deal with whatever fate chooses to throw at you then walk down that trail," he shrugged loosely, indicating that he had no preference one way or the other. If she wanted to meet her family then she fell into line with many individuals with estranged relatives. "You have no attachments, so you have nothing to lose."
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 2:24 pm
'I know, I realise that,' Marut said with a faint smile on her face. She knew what had happened, her mother had told her as soon as she was old enough to understand, and all her children for that matter. Izusa was dangerous, bad news. But she was also a member of the family, and maybe a reason why Vartan was how he was.
She wasn't sure that she believed all that 'bad blood' thing any way, as she told her brother, you could be a jerk without being part Kalona.
'It's not like I'm determined to go and get myself attacked, I'm just..curious. Would you be, like for research purposes if it was your situation?' she prodded him. He couldn't after all say he never wondered about things.
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 12:43 am
"In a manner of speaking, one might muse over such subjects for the purpose of furthering their research," Raniero agreed slowly. He was fully aware of his own family background, however, the idea of claiming that the Kalona blood in your veins was reason for misbehaviour was ridiculous. It didn't take a genius to realise this, nor had it taken Raniero very many hours to observe this. His research in regards to such behaviour had long since been completed - there were simply individuals within society who got a kick out of being foolish and rude. They liked to claim it had external factors but more often than not this wasn't the case.
Every species in the world had the ability to be sadistic, there was that part of an individuals mind that could become warped and twisted if they allowed it. That fight and flight reflex could become a little too much, embraced and adapted to revel in the pain of another. It didn't taken Kalona, Skinwalker or Mutant blood to do this - one simply had to get a taste for it and they were gone. Thus, had Raniero known of her brother's excuses he would have scoffed and called the stallion a complete idiot.
Kalona blood his a**.
If he had Kalona blood then what would that make Raniero's own father? Paramekia was a pureblooded stallion without any semblance of deviation from the family line. There was no Kalona in his blood and yet he had killed his brother and father in order to further his own gains. Really, Vartan needed to pick himself a better excuse...preferrably one that would stand up to scrutiny.
"However I have already studied Kalona enough to know that not everyone of them possess an extreme level of violence. As our personalities are different, so too are Kalona." He shrugged loosely and arched a brow. Admittedly he could see grounds for curiosity but even when he had exacted any research he had taken measures to protect his personal safety.
"That being said, even when it comes to my research I am not that reckless. I do take measures to ensure my security."
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:13 pm
Marut would wholeheartedly agree with Raniero's thoughts, if he chose to voice them. She shifted a moment, fidgeting this time out of relief, the muscles in her legs protesting at standing still for a length of time. She peered out from under the trees again, looking at the rain.
Would it carry on for much longer? She wasn't sure if she wanted to get soaked again, and so the prospect was spending more time with someone who gave her strange feelings, ones she was as yet not quite able to handle.
'That would make sense, but I've not been able to make that observation myself. My relatives are all I know and they are half Kalona at most.' she nodded.
'Measures? What kind?' she was curious about that now, interested to know how he would prevent himself from getting injured without fighting if he was threatened. Talking his way out of it? She imagined that could make things worse.
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:24 pm
"I have friends in high places," Raniero replied smoothly, continuing the conversation despite her constant fidgeting. That being said her constant movement was distracting and the discomfort seemed to radiate off her form. He could have sworn that if he didn't know any better, she was rather anxious to be rid of him. Aha, hormones were a horrid thing that tortured the mind of the innocent - only when she had realised what these 'terrible' feelings were, would things become normal and much easier to endure. Had he been suitably more sadistic he would have teased and toyed with her, coaxing her into a soft lull of suggestion and ultimately seduction.
It was just as well his father had raised him with manners...
On the other hand he had to consider said father's words regarding certain issues. He was more than aware of his duties as a son to his father but could he really lead a mare on? Seduce her and then three months down the line hear the shriek reverberating from every corner of the valley when her abdomen began to budge? No, there was a part of him (the logical part) that noted that if he were to pursue such things then it would be advisable that she be willing. This would ensure he wouldn't be murdered in his sleep anytime soon. Indeed, Marut was terribly lucky that he was such a sensible creature even if he wasn't terribly 'noble'.
"One can acquire the aid of bodyguards in the form of said friends, one can remain diplomatic and speak to the individual or as is customary for most scholars -" he paused briefly though it was unknown if the stallion was doing such a thing for dramatic affect. "I can always run away," he finished. Now if this wasn't a jest then nothing would be for it was rare that this stallion ever made light of his work or his behaviour. Then again he wasn't ever a stallion to paint a pretty picture and generally speaking running away from a scene tended to work out quite well. Granted he wasn't a fast runner but he did know how to hide!
"I assume that you had the intention of adopting such measures though I doubt many would suit..."
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:02 am
'Oh yes?' Marut finished shaking out her legs, giving each one a good stretch before standing relatively still again. She huffed her hair from her bi-coloured eyes and looked back at him. She wasn't anxious to be rid of him..just anxious.
'Bodyguards? And do you have to owe them favours in kind or do they just do so because they like you?' she smiled at him. She didn't honestly think that talking his way out of a fight would work with some hot-headed Soquilis, and she giggled at the thought of him turning tail and running.
'I can run fast, I suppose I could take flight if I wanted to.'
She wasn't sure what would work with her Grandmother, by all accounts she was fierce and vicious, and had a distinct advantage over her grand-daughter by having wings. She let out a breath.
'You're clever. Tell me why I'm standing here feeling - strange.' she suddenly came out with, fed up of the unknown.
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:54 am
"Bodyguards are paid by some means or another," he shrugged loosely, unprepared to discuss the business he had with other creatures both soquili and otherwise. He had rather good skills when it came to negotiating deals but to try and explain these to other individuals was somewhat awkward. There were certain things he could offer creatures, most of these revolved around information and generally speaking his offers and methods of payment were accepted with ease.
"Favours to not exist in business, Marut," he pointed out after a few moments and shook his head. Perhaps she had never encountered individuals who spent the majority of their time in such social circles. Generally speaking hte majority of creatures did owe each other favours but this stallion (and his partners) prepared to know exactly what was required of them. There were no understandings, no under hand dealings and no uncomfortable situations at a later date. "A fixed price is all that is required."
Nevertheless, after a few moments in which she continued to muse over his words she finally asked him another question. Admittedly he hadn't been expecting quite a direct query. More to the point he had never thought that the day would come when he would be required to explain how another was feeling. He wasn't her mother, he wasn't a confidante and he wasn't even a mare!
Hells bells...
"Generally speaking that is not something you ask a stallion, it is too open for abuse," he pointed out coolly. "Nevertheless in answer to your question, it is logical to assume that you are simply developing a greater awareness to the opposite sex," he raised a brow and flicked his gaze to the mare. Regarding her thoughtfully for a few moments, he opted to continue given that he disliked incomplete explanations. "You are accustomed to others viewing you as a tomboy, a mare with coltish behaviour and now you encounter an individual who takes note of this side of you but rejects the concept that this is all you are."
Again he shrugged, returning his gaze to the forest's edge.
"You are female, I am male. It is an enclosed space and all things point to primal attraction. It is a normal instinct - you have simply taken note that I am male." Perhaps that would make sense, he wasn't entirely aware of how far her 'strange' feelings went and therefore he couldn't speak of lust or anything similar to it.
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