Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was bright out. Beautiful and crisp after the earlier rain - just a perfect day to be out and about, galloping through puddles and muddying up one's legs, shoving one's nose into droplet laden bushes or grass and sneezing.

At least, Ahoskie certainly thought so.

He also thought that it was kind of funny that the sun was up...and yet not many of his kind were! He had been awake for hours, rising with the false dawn and breaking the night's fast and scratching his sides against rough tree-bark while watching the sun rise into the sky.

Now the earthy-looking stallion was meandering through trees aimlessly, a green twig held lightly in his soft muzzle so he could chew at it when he remembered it was there. Mostly, he was thinking about how the sun was drying the mud into the feathering of longer hair about his fetlocks; he would eventually need to either find water to bathe in or find more mud to play in!

The short-haired stallion paused in his wandering, ears swivelling - he'd heard something: a far off cry, bird-like and high. Nothing for him to worry about, so he started scratching at an itchy spot on his neck with the aid of a low-hanging branch.

A clearing - muddy and unmarred by hoof or paw prints - was peeking into his view and that was exciting; Ahoskie's stub-tail twitched and he shook his head before moving forward.

He had no clue that there was another Soquili moving towards him; because of her coloring he would probably not realize that she was one of his kind until she was almost atop him - she was downwind!

Ahoskie heard the hoof beats before the mare ever called out to him; he turned his gaze from the mud to the female and watched her approach, both ears pricked in her direction. She certainly seemed interesting enough -- the mare had a sandy shaded coat that reminded Ahoskie of the earth. An observation that was hammered in by the fact that she had a long, messy mane and tail the color of young vines -- flowers and mud and bits of grass and twigs coated her legs, her belly and the ends of her hair. What a mess! He liked her already.

The stallion's big frame shifted so the he could greet the female head on, instead of off his shoulder as though it meant nothing to meet another of his kind. When she spoke, he flicked his little tail and tossed his head at her, stomping a foot in greeting. Words were hard for him, something had been damaged, gone wrong a long time ago. "Hullo. Early-day." Slow words, halting and stunted made it sound as though he were a child-- but he was not. Nor was his mind. It just didn't work - words from brain to the air. Something got lost.

"Ahoskie." That he could say fairly well, thank the spirits! "Pretty name -- Gaia."

Ahoskie tossed his head and dug his hoof into the soft, loamy ground. An earthworm, disturbed by his pawing squirmed desperately to get back into the dark earth lest it get mauled by the dangers of TopSide. Of course, the Soquili wouldn't know it's struggle - they were conversing. Sort of; Gaia was speaking and he was listening, ears pricked and intent.

Mudpuddles? A mare that liked mud? Yes yes, obviously she liked it - she was filthy and that was glorious! Here was someone that would play with him - possibly be willing to get completely mud-covered and enjoy it. Happy day! The dark colored stallion nodded his head vigorously. "Yah, yes - there -- not messy yet." He indicated the clearing he'd been interested in with a turn of his head and a one-two-three step twist of his body.