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 Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:07 pm
Eyes sharp as ever, Safi took in each element of the unfolding scene before him, particularly the coolness that seemed to stand like a wall between mother and daughter. Was this what Selene was referring to earlier? It had to be, he couldn't think of anything else that could be this...unpleasant.
Well, occassionaly he could be serious, and at the moment, it seemed like that was a decent way to start out. Consequently, after he nodded a farewell to the unknown mare, he bowed his head in greeting to the foal. "Hello to you as well, Yue Shang; I'm Safi, and it's a pleasure to meet you." Raising his head, he glanced around the training ground, then back at the foal. "So you're learning to fight already, I take it? A smart move, and a practical one as well, if you have a good teacher."
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:20 pm
Yue disregarded her mother with a small snort, moving closer to the stallion. "You didn't say my name quite right, but it will do." she informed him, a bit haughtily. "It's Shuang. But it was a good try." Her voice was light, but firm. "And yes. I am learning to fight. It would be wise to be able to defend myself against all threats. Unlike my mother..." the word dripped with disdain. "I have little to no interest in prancing about the meadows like a fool."
Selene smiled. "Such a smart little girl, isn't she?" her voice was tight.
Yue's eyes for a moment were wide and pleased, but then they dropped again. Not that she'd ever admit it, that she loved her mom... even though the mare was such an embarassment most of the time.
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:29 pm
"Shuang." Repeating the word to himself, Safi gave the filly a nod and a smile. "Gotcha; and give me a little credit, I only heard the name once and it was a while ago. Hopefully next time I'll be able to call you by your correct name, properly pronounced."
However, though his tone was light he was very much aware of the tenseness of the air. Poor Selene obviously seemed ill-at-ease, and the filly...well, she'd given a sign that things weren't hopeless with Selene, but even so. Well, he was here, he'd see what he could do about that tension!
Nodding his head at Yue, he seemed completely in agreement. "Aye, defending yourself against the numerous dangers extant in the world is an important and valueable task; however, you shouldn't immeadiately disregard your mother's way of life simply because she's a bit more..." Glancing at Selene for a moment, a hint of a smile flickered across Safi's face as he lit on a word. "Free-spirited than you are. If types like her didn't exist, then how would you yourself be able to set a suitable goal of what NOT to do?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:46 pm
Selene gave a snort. Yue grinned. "Indeed. Acting like a kid all the time, and at her age too." she made a face. Selene almost winced. "I mean, she's oooold. You know?"
The flutter's head dropped. Old. You could almost see the dark depression set in.
"And so irresponsible. I think she only wanted to be a mother so she could pretend we were like those corn dolls the twolegger girls in the village play with."
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:56 pm
Safi was trying to stay serious, but this situation was trying that resolve. Strange how something could be so tense and so comical at the same time... "Well, I don't think that I would call your mother old, Yue; not by a long shot. Especially not compared to me. Why, I think I'm about the same age as her grandparents at least, since I remember when her guardians were foals themselves." At least he'd aged gracefully, in any case! "One thing you need to remember as you yourself grow, Yue, is that age is a moot point when it comes to behavior."
As he spoke, Safi draped a wing over Selene, giving her a slight hug of reassurance. There was no reason for her to beat herself up like this, after all. "And you need to give your mother a little credit; looks like she knows who to entrust you to when she'd gone; that fighting teacher of yours looked like she knew what she was up to. If your mother really only wanted to play dolls woth you, don't you think she'd drag you around all the time with her and never let you try to fight, fly, or do anything?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:16 pm
Yue blinked. Then scowled. "I don't have any grandparents." she said snidely. "They didn't want momma. With silly wings and a horn like that, I don't blame them." Selene was hard-pressed to stay silent. Even if this was the normal communication between them, it was still even more cruel than Yue's usual jabs. "As for giving her credit- why would she care what I do when she's bored with me? As long as I am around to play with when she's ready."
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:25 pm
Safi quirked a brow at Yue, both amused and incredulous at her attitude. And this was a foal? Lord help the foolish stallion that made a move on her when she was older....
"I hate to break it to you, Yue, but if you don't have grandparents you can't exist. Biologically, there is just no way your mother sprang into being on her own. And moving on, why wouldn't she care? Even the most devoted of lovers need some time apart, and that goes for the closest of friends and the fondest of parents. Yet that doesn't mean that they dislike each other or don't care what the other is up too. Your point is clear, but your logic is muddled. You are obviously hurting your mother; do you think it would hurt her to hear you say such things if she didn't care about you?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:39 pm
She raised a brow. Pondered the question. "Babies are born when mommies and daddies love each other, but she doesn't love daddy at all. And I heard her crying one night, wondering why she wanted kids in the first place. So -logically- she didn't want babies, she just wanted to breed. She's just a... a.. a tramp!"
"Alright you smart-mouthed little brat," the mare began, but cut off. No. This was not how she wanted the conversation to go.
"What?" Yue jeered. She'd drawn blood, and she'd chase it. Ever since that night she'd heard Selene crying, she'd had it festering, wanting to know why her mother tried so hard to love her when she hadn't really wanted her...?
But Selene remained stubbornly silent.
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:45 pm
Raising a wing, Safi stuck it between the two, effectively seperating them. "Calm down, you two; no sense in putting the cart before the horse. You, Yue, being that you have lived in the world for so very long and are so wise in the ways of behavior; why don't you tell your mother and me about postpartum depression and indecision?" Let's see where this would go, then...
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:59 pm
She blinked. Post-part'em depesshun? "What are you talking about?" she grumbled. "She changed her mind about Chenguang and I. I bet she wanted to try and give us back. Here, Forrest, keep the brats. I bet that's what you said. Is that why I don't get to see brother?"
Selene almost wilted. She'd said no such thing, but this venom. "I have my regrets, Yue. Don't we all?"
"Shut up." Yue grumbled.
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:16 pm
"Obviously you don't have all the answers. Is it so bad to not know everything, Yue?" Tilting his head to one side, Safi regarded the filly with a mixture of sympathy and sadness. Had he been a detached observer, he might have been amused; but this...not when he was seeing such pain brought to Selene by the filly's words.
"Sometimes giving birth causes hormonal imbalances in mares, and they get very depressed and can even want to get rid of their children. However, your mother wanted you guys so much that she was willing to latch onto a stallion she didn't love, just so she could have you around. That doesn't mean that she's a tramp; if she were a tramp, she'd still be seeing your father just for kicks, yet you don't see that happening. And she cares about you guys enough that she's willing to go the extra mile to take care of you, Yue, basically on her own."
Turning to look away for a moment, Safi looked back at Yue, trying hard to keep himself as detached as she. Because oddly enough, this was something he felt he could sympathize with. "I myself never saw my father, not after the first time I came out of my basket. And I didn't live with my mother, either. My brother did, but I didn't have even that luxury. However, my mother still cared about me and did everything within her power to make sure I was able to grow up understanding the world around me. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, your mother is the same?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:23 pm
The filly shifted uncomfortably. "If she wasn't a tramp, she wouldn't have bred with a stallion she wasn't mated to in the first place." Yue protested, but the words came out lamely. "And she would still see him from time to time instead of avoiding him entirely." But she felt herself sympathize with the stallion in front of her... never seeing her father, except for the one time, when she came out, same as he... and she never got to see her precious little brother either.
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:30 pm
Smiling wryly, Safi shook his head at Yue. "A decent theory, but reality doesn't always work that way. Sometimes the desire to have kids can be so strong that Soquilis do things that fall outside the normal realm of propriety." Or sometimes when they were out of their mind and had crazy ideas about proving themselves and-ok, Safi, this was not about you. Back on topic.
Looing at Yue, he patted her head with one wing. "You'll discover that things are a lot more complicated than we want them to be, regardless of intent. Your mother might have gone about things in a slightly awkward fashion, but that was because she wanted you. The fact that she still has you around is testament to that. And as far as mates go...finding a mate can be complicated. Sometimes you can think you've found 'the one' only to have it blow up in your face later; I'd say that your mother is being careful to make sure that she finds the perfect guy for her before committing. Would you rather that she be with your father forever when they obviously don't care for each other?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:35 pm
Selene wanted to protest. Commit her butt. A stallion would have to be one heck of a guy to keep her from flitting away. But... that wouldn't be the wisest thing to say right now, would it?
Yue let the stallion pat her with a heavy, exaggerated sigh. "You're messing up my mane." she said, tone icy. But there was shy pleasure in her eyes.
Safi certainly had a way with the ladies.
"I don't think I want to grow up." she mused finally. "So many annoyances."
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Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:44 pm
Grinning, Safi pulled back his wing, winking at Yue. "Give your head a good toss and your mane will be as good as new; I guarantee it. And good luck on the not growing up thing; I thought that would be a good way to go myself, having no responsibility and whatnot; but as I'm sure you can see, that didn't work out quite the way I wanted." Obviously indeed, given the fact that he was larger than both Yue and Selene by a visible amount.
"Still, you'll have to let me know how that goes. And all levity aside, being an adult doesn't mean you have to grow up and deal with things." Glancing from Yue to Selene, there was a definite twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "At least, not right away."
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