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 Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:07 pm
She paused and turned her head, ears perked forward, and she waited for Maurice to finish his short thank you to Nyx. "Thank you, Nyx!" She said again with a smile, feeling compelled to say it a second time. Once Maurice stepped up beside her she set off carefully down the hill, wondering if going up or down the hill would be harder for Maurice. Maybe we should just avoid hills altogether? She pondered, but shrugged it off for the moment.
"I think you'll really like the spot by the river! It's really pretty, and it has good shade beneath the trees, and lots of flowers," she went on; her favorite spot was worth describing to anyone, especially if they've not seen it before. "There are other spots I really like too, but this one's my favorite," she informed him as they passed halfway down the gentle slope.
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:48 am
Standing around in the shade at this time of year didn't sound overly attractive but if there were flowers then the Ichsa supposed there was no harm in going. Flowers had more energy in them than scrubby winter grass after all... Oh, but Nizhoni probably wasn't intending for him to eat them, she probably thought they were pretty. To be fair, Maurice had to admit that flowers were often appealing to the eye but he'd still rather eat them than look at them unless they were the thorny sort.
"Sounds like a nice spot," he smiled, tossing his head to throw his forelock out of his eyes, where the wind had shoved it. "Maybe y'll be able t' show me a couple of these spots o’ yours b'fore I move on south," the blue-coated stallion suggested as they reached level ground once more. Keeping in company with this mare didn’t seem like a bad idea. Violence seemed as far from her nature as it was from a butterfly’s, no sense wandering too far off and chancing an encounter with a less gentle creature, especially whilst his leg was damaged.
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:27 am
Around noon, standing in the shade was attractive to the creamy mare, who enjoyed bounding around in the temperate valley. She believed flowers were eye candy, but she understood that others enjoyed eating them, and was wondering if Maurice would like to, as well. Her ears perked up a bit as he began to speak again, another smile upon her lips. "Yes, it is a lovely spot," she stated before she was reminded of his leaving. Why did it bother her? "I think we'll have plenty of time for you to see the other places I like to visit before you have to leave." Good, level ground. She'd rather run down hills, not walk down them, it wasn't as fun.
Her favorite spot wasn't far from the hill, so they needn't walk too far before they could reach it. She nodded her head towards the flower-covered ground beside the river as they walked. "My favorite spot is right over there."
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:36 am
Maurice raised his head from his study of the terrain underhoof and looked ahead. A bright gleam caught his gaze and the stallion nodded to himself. "I think I see the stream, or river or whatever just up ahead, yea."
Now what was he supposed to say? Casual conversation wasn't his strong suit by any stretch of the imagination; he enjoyed silence too much to break it most of the time but he felt that he should say something to his guide.
"So... Nyx seemed nice, very nice. Bloody tall, ain't she? Impressive colouring too, never seen anythin’ quite like tha’ before that’s f’ sure. …Guess all Aeri are tall though, mares in particular." Shining piece of conversation right there, give y' self a prize why don't y? Yesh.
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:47 pm
She bobbed her head, eyes set on the river ahead of them until he spoke of Nyx. Her ears flicked a bit and she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Yes, she is very tall, and with unique coloring. I haven't seen another like her before, in color or height," she said with a giggle. "But yes, she's very nice and sweet, I'm glad she let you stay." She paused, then chanced a question. "She didn't make you nervous, did she?" She inquired as she turned her slender head to gaze at him with her bright emerald eyes. From how nervous he acted since she met him, she assumed he was, but felt inclined to ask, just to see what he would say. She shook out her mane after asking, the curly locks settling on the other side of her neck and her forelock moving away from her eyes where it had decided to stay before.
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:15 pm
Maurice paused for a moment, one hoof raised in the action of walking. "...Kinda," he said after a moment, setting off again. He didn't often consider himself a proud creature so it was often a surprise to him to have his ego stung. She thought he was pathetic, scared of his own shadow. Having anyone think that of him wrankled.
Well, am I?... No, no not really. Hu. Jus other people's shadows.
If it were just him in all the world he'd be fine. Well, no, he'd be lonely.
So, it seems that the answer, you big boobie, is t' get over y' damn self an quite wallowin' in self pity.
"Hum, this does look like a nice place," the blue stallion commented with a slight smile as they drew closer to the babbling stream. This would probably be a nice, safe place to live. An’ if I were less stubborn I’d give up on the south coast and stay ‘ere but I’m not so I won’. Per’aps I’ll come back t’ visit someday though. Must be even nicer in spring.
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:26 pm
She gazed back at the stream as he answered her question, pondering on it for a few moments as they travelled the short distance towards her favorite spot, and nodded with a bob of her muzzle to show she'd heard him. She didn't think he was pathetic, that word didn't exist in her vocabulary. She did believe, however, that being nervous of any horse one meets was rather silly, but she tried to think of the situation from his point of view. Maybe something happened to make him act that way? But what...?
"Oh, yes, it is." She was brought back out of her train of thought when he commented on the place she enjoyed visiting, and she looked it over absent-mindedly for a few moments, still walking. Just about there, they were, only a few more paces until they actually reached the spot. She felt she should say something else, but what should she say? She frowned inwardly, trying to think of something she could say, but she couldn't find anything worth talking about.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:49 am
...Well, Nizhoni didn't seem to know what to say either. To cover the silence, Maurice paced over to the stream and lowered his head to drink. The clear flow was like ice on his lips and the Ichsa found himself able to drink only a little before it started giving him a headache. The blue stallion snorted softly, raised his head again and gave it a good shake to clear the sensation.
"Water's bloody cold," he commented to Niz with a slight grin at the obviousness of the statement. Now what? Being good at small talk would be really convenient right now. "...It is a nice spot too. Must be nice t' come 'ere in the summer an' cool off in the stream, stand in the shade an’ that."
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:35 pm
She watched him as he lowered his head to drink, so she stood beside the nearest tree and rubbed her neck on it, trying to quell an itch she couldn't reach. That done, she dipped her muzzle to the rich grass beneath her hooves, and delicately plucked a few of the blades. Raising her head again, she chewed them as she watched him. She swallowed, bobbing her head in agreement. "The water is cold this time of year." Apparently he didn't know what to talk about either. "It's a wonderful place all throughout the year, but yes, especially in summer. Lots more flowers, the water's warmer, and it's just gorgeous."
Think, think.. There has to be something we can talk about... She pondered a few more moments, wondering what she could say. She flicked her tail a bit and thought more. "Where do you think you'll go after you reach the sea, Maurice? I mean, I know it must be really beautiful, but would you stay there all year? I heard other horses talking about the conditions of other places, and this valley is the only really mild area. Do you think the sea is a good place to visit in the middle of winter?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:31 am
Maurice, who had been bending to nibble at the grass underhoof, raised his head and gave Nizhoni a grin. "Nope, intellectually I know it's bloody stupid with all the storms an' that the coast is meant to 'ave." The grin faded slightly to a more serious expression. "Still, silly or no it's jus’ somethin' I 'ave t' do. I don' know why really but... well, I'm a stubborn idiot at heart and once I'm set on somethin' I don' change me mind that easy. It's jus' somethin' I ‘ave to do," he repeated, flicking one ear in an equine shrug, expressing a situation that he felt beyond his control and hadn't the inclination to try to affect in any case.
"I'm sure I'll survive though," he said after a few moment's of silence, a smile creeping back onto his face. "I'm surprisingly 'ard t' kill, y' know?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 10:36 am
She listened intently, watching him curiously. "I know you need to go," she started, still trying to think of anything to talk about. "But do you have to go right away? If you wait until the weather's better you'd still be going to the ocean, just at a safer time." That seemed like a good idea to her, but would he agree to it? She shook out her mane, too irritated from where her curly locks had settled themselves, but that was fixed now. She stretched a foreleg out, then dipped her muzzle down and itched her cheek on the outstretched leg, getting rid of yet another itch. After raising her head and moving her leg to its previous position, she chanced to re-ask a question. "Where will you go after you see the ocean?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 2:38 pm
Maurice shook his head. "No, I'm sorry Niz but I 'ave t' do this now. I know it must seem insane t' y' but t' me it's the only thing I can do." The stallion sighed and shook his head again. "I dunno why but... it jus' feels like I already left it too long an' like the place is pulling at me, like it's got hold of my heart or somethin' ostentatiously poetic like that. It's called, I got to answer as soon as I'm able."
The blue Ichsa gave his companion an apologetic smile "Y' won' like the answer t' y' other question either Niz because it’s ‘I 'ave no idea’. I think I need t' be there t' decide or something. I'm expectin' somethin'... somethin'... I dunno. I feel like I can' make any more plans for the future until I've seen the ocean. I won' stay rooted there forever but I might live there most the time if it feels right or live somewhere else an' only visit once in a while."
The tri-star marked Nequus' apologetic smile remained. "Not bein' very 'elpful, am I Niz?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:27 pm
She bobbed her head a bit in a nod, listening intently. She wished he's stay.. but she decided she wouldn't let his intentions get her down, nor should she ask him to give up his intentions, and she offered him a smile. "I understand. I hope you do find what you're looking for though, Maurice, and as Nyx said, you're always welcome here. Just promise me one thing," she said with a smile, ears perked. "You have to come back here and visit sometime, maybe in summer. I've heard other horses say that the trees bloom flowers then, and it's even prettier." She giggled, one ear flicking. "But, I do want to see the ocean sometime, so maybe if you've not visited by summer I'll visit you there. Does that sound okay?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:51 am
Maurice smiled slightly at the other Ichsa; it would certainly be a shame to go through life and never see the bubbly mare again. "How's this; I'll come back 'ere by early summer, y' can show me around some more and then I can show y' what I've discovered of the coast. That way I get t' see D'ob in the summer and you get t' see the ocean. Sound good?"
Perhaps he'd have found whatever it was he was looking for by the summer, made more of himself and become less afraid, maybe even less suspicious, of others. It would be nice to encounter a stranger and think the best of them right away, to not be nagged by doubts that even one so seemingly sweet and open as Nizhoni might hide intentions to hurt him.
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:36 am
She flicked her tail idly, smiling at the blue-coated stallion. He really was very nice, she thought as she offered another nod of agreement. "That sounds wonderful, Maurice, I can hardly wait." The ocean! She really could hardly wait now; she would get to see the ocean! She tilted her head up slightly, spying the setting sun on the horizon, and shook out her mane yet again. "It's going to be dark soon," she noted, looking in the sky for any sign of the little pinpricks of light, but figured it wasn't dark enough yet. She returned her gaze to her companion, the smile still present upon her face. "I think sleep will be a good idea."
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