|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:40 am
Sure he was proud, sure he put greater good above all else no matter how unhappy it might make the people around him but the aged Jala was so damn kind. It wasn’t fair, it really damn well wasn’t. Whenever she started urging herself to feel annoyed with him, the blue-eyed b*****d gave her one of those charming and benign smiles and whatever semblance of anger she had built up fell flat somewhat.
Shaking her head as the stallion vanished from view into the copse he used for discussing whatever business needed discussing, Bastet turned to her companion with a lopsided grin. “So, you hungry?” She hoped so; her own belly was feeling most dissatisfied with her, but if her guest wasn’t in the mood for food she could wait. Only silly frilly little trophy mares got into a flap if they missed a meal, and the day she turned into one of those would be the same day Diego decided he liked the scruffy look...
Diego. Damn. She still needed to do something about that unwelcome heap of guilt that had landed on her shoulders. When Lyric left, she could go and seek him out and attempt to apologize for, well everything. Until then, however, she would just have to live with feeling like a bitchy little brat and try to think of how she could even begin to say sorry to the golden stallion.
She was terrible at apologies at the best of times, and having to swallow her pride enough to actually make amends with Diego was not the best of times by any stretch of the imagination.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 7:44 am
Lyric couldn't help but swell in excitement. The travel here had been long but well worth it in his own opinion. There were so many Nequus, so many different personalities to take in, sites to see and paint into his very mind.
Yes, he had become somewhat skittish around all of the others, but part of him had been too damn thrilled to notice that little tidbit. His mind wandered, and though he would later feel guilty for it, he could hardly keep his mind on Bastet for a long period of time so when she asked about food he had to take a minute to try and process the words before he gave a slow nod, 'Yyess.. f-food would be g-g-good.." He mumbled a little sheepishly when his eyes finally befell her.
Ah.. there was this Estavan character he also met. Older but no less merited. Lyric decided that he instantly liked the fellow. He couldn't pick up on why but the old stallion seemed nice enough. Actually, most everyone seemed nice here and in a round about way, Lyric decided unless given ample reason he couldn't dislike anyone here. He liked that feeling, the ability to feel somewhat comfortable and adoring of anyone in a particular situation unless given reason not to.
There was Bastet to consider again, however. During the whole thing she had become withdrawn. He cursed himself for being lost in his own world and not noticing her long face. She was thinking again, hiding things, of that he could be sure. There was so much more to her character that he would love to pick apart and study but he had to remember that not everyone was a specimen and so he held himself back. He knew it was probably not a feeling she'd take kind to, but part of him did feel sorry for her.. he couldn't imagine what it must feel like to be trapped in a world you hate. He supposed that was what it was, she hated so very often. It was sad really because there was so much in life to love.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:16 am
Bastet brightened somewhat as Lyric spoke and bobbed her head in agreement. “Great,” she said with a smile, a line of thought forming briefly on her brow as she considered where to take the pale-coloured stallion for food. “Humm... Let’s go this way,” the striped Jala said after a moment, turning slightly to her left and setting off at an easy walk.
“There’s a nice grouping of different fruit bushes not far from here,” she said by way of explanation, “plus there’s a pond with good water in it if you need more to drink than the juice of the berries.” She was sure there’s be something there Lyric liked; har-hrangs, beo pods, stripeberries and more, plenty of which ought to be in fruit given the season.
“So,” Bastet gave her companion another smile, “while we’re walking, how about a bit of talk? All I really know about you is your name, and the fact that you’re kind and have a wonderful voice. If you’d rather ask me some things before telling me about yourself, though, I don’t mind.” She herself had never been very shy of giving out personal information, but the gold-eyed mare knew that some people were.
If it made her guest feel better to hear of her before he spoke of himself, that was fine by her. Hell, even if he didn’t want to divulge too much about his history or whatever else she didn’t much mind. It would be nice to know a bit about the stallion, but it wasn’t necessary by any means. In the end, all that really mattered to her was that he was a good person, and one that she wanted to feel comfortable for as long as he chose to stay.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:39 am
Lyric's hooves had to pad quickly on the ground to catch up with her. He had lost himself in thought yet again. It was normal for him to do so in a new place, actually even in an old place. She seemed to be a very determined and headstrong Jala, knowing exactly what she wanted out of life. Lyric couldn't help but chuckle at that thought deep within, couldn't be more the opposite of him. He had always been pegged for dillydallying or daydreaming, something his old grandfather would never let him forget when he was a foal.
"Ab-About me?" He hardly managed to force those words into the air. He considered, trying his best to keep his mind on the subject at hand. When it began to wander again he had a hard time keeping himself in reality. Truth be told, he hated to speak. It was yet another thing the old Bae wouldn't forget. He found himself flushing furiously, standing still on the ground with his head hung.
"I..." His eyes were wandering as if he couldn't find exactly what he was looking for. He hadn't even noticed that he stopped his trot. Rather she noticed or not was the furthest thing from his mind. "Mmy moth-mother.. r-raisedd m-m-me and m-my brother a-lone. S-she event-tually sought hhelpp fr-from her f-father.. H-he helped r-raise ussss..." He slurred while speaking, "H-he wass.. hard on u-ss.. especially mme. Did-didn't l-like that-that I sang.. or-or that I wasss in-ter-rest-ed in s-st-stories.. I was-was great-ful to h-him.. but.. when-when my-my mmmotherr died... I had-had to leave.. on my-my own.. I'm-I'm nott wwelcomme to co-come back." He wasn't trying to make her feel sorry for him, that was the last thing he wanted, but she had asked. He was merely telling her the truth. Perhaps that was why he slightly envied her. She had a family, people who cared about her, those were things he felt he'd never have again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:00 am
Fortunately for Lyric, pity did not come easily to Bastet. Coming to a halt as her companion did, the muscled mare snorted and scowled. “Wow, sounds like a real nice guy. If it’s any consolation, I like your singing and I’d probably like your stories, too, if I heard one. Always liked stories, especially ones with heroes in.” She remembered being a filly, listening to the tales told by the elders, by people’s parents and by their dedicated entertainers.
Yes, The tales with heroes in them had always captivated her best; she had so easily been able to imagine rushing off to the rescue of whoever needed it, arriving just in the nick of time to save the beautiful maiden from the evil stallion trying to capture her. Given she was a mare herself, though, that probably needed a bit of changing around; maybe a sweet young stallion needed saving from a domineering old b***h, or maybe foals were in danger or something.
Chuckling at her wandering mind, Bastet set off slowly once more. “So,” she said to Lyric with a grin, “you want to hear anything particular on me, or shall I just talk at you?” Seen as he wasn’t properly a herd member, she could probably be perfectly candid with him. Come to that, she was pretty honest about her past with everyone, the difference being that most people were led to believe that she’d grown out of racing and sparring and not liking the frills that came with rank.
It would be nice to have one more person know she wasn’t just a pretty mate with her head full of the love of sweet fruits, handsome stallions and little more. Glancing over at Lyric again, Bastet smiled. She had a feeling that her secrets would be safe with him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:20 am
An instant smile crossed him, she didn't know how grateful he was that she didn't pity him. He hated others feeling sorry for him, which is why when he felt that very emotion he tried his best to cut it out as quickly as possible. Often times he refrained from telling his story for that very reason. He didn't hate his grandfather. His mother turned out to be a wonderful mare and he had done his best to raise her, and without his mother he wouldn't be who he was. Of course, that was a bit of circular thinking on his part but in his mind it made perfect sense and therefore he couldn't resent the stallion. He had only wanted what was best for him anyhow.
"M-Maybe.. I c-cann tell you-you one someday..." He grinned even more at the prospect of telling a story. Perhaps he could fish an old one out of memory, or make one up as he went along. Either would be fine choices and he had a feeling the mare wouldn't hold it against him if he stumbled over a few minor details if it was made up on the spot.
Her thoughts about trusting him, now that was something else altogether. Lyric wasn't exactly a trustful individual when it came to secrets. It wasn't because he didn't want to be, but his mind turned everything into a prospect, into a story. It was taking much of his restraint to not turn everything he learned about this place into a story, Bastet most of all as she had captured a part of his creativity like few others had done. Still, he knew if he were to be a friend he couldn't exploit her, or so that was what he had to keep reminding himself.
"Hmm..." He didn't exactly know what to ask her. He would love to hear all about her adventures, her likes, dislikes.. anything that could help him flesh out a character. However, that was such a broad topic that he didn't know where to begin. His mind was bubbling over in such vague ideas! He had to narrow them down. "W-What was l-life li-ke for yyyou as a f-oal?" He finally asked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:41 am
The tall mare laughed at that and gave another shake of her head. “More like a colt than a filly for starters,” she chuckled as she recalled her antics. “I love nothing better than play fighting with the boys, racing around, getting myself muddy or soaked and almost always utterly exhausted. I never did quite get the games the other fillies played, so mostly I avoided them just because, well, like I say, I was one of the colts really.”
Sighing to herself, the striped Nequus swished her long tail at a fly buzzing beside her. “Never did take very good care my of pretty mane and tail,” she went on as the currently tangle and mud free things came to the front of her mind, “I was always asking my father to let me get the humans to cut them short when I was very small. When I grew up a bit, I decided I liked them but that it was too much trouble keeping them all nice like this. Didn’t have time to stand about and be made tidy; I always had something to do, somewhere to be.”
Perhaps she’d told him enough now, but Bastet’s mouth and memories were determined to bad together and be heard. She didn’t often get to go on like this. “I always though,” the striped mare said with a wistful sigh, “that I’d like to be a border guard when I was older. I wanted to be big and strong like all those stallions were, to protect my family and friends and not have to worry about all the upper class stuff I was supposed to care about, supposed to enjoy even. Still,” the deeply-hued mare snorted and shook her head, “as you can see, that didn’t exactly come out the way I planned it.”
She didn’t want pity any more than Lyric had; it sucked to high heaven that she was stuck where she was stuck, but there was one thing that could make the whole mess worse, and that was being pitied. Sympathy she could take just fine, but pity was a thing that the well-muscled Jala knew she couldn’t stomach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:01 am
"Per-haps..." He replied in thought, his voice taking on more of a scholarly appeal. "You c-c-could still protect themm. Isn't that the j-job of a moth-er anyhhow?" His eyes held all seriousness. He knew in that moment he admired her. She had a courage and determination that he definitely didn't have. She somewhat reminded him of his own mother. His mother had been still and calm, a little more dreamy like him, yes, but she had a strength that he knew he didn't have and perhaps never would. "It-it jjusstt seems t-t-o me th-at you've giv-given up h-hope... That sh-should never-never be." He shook his head back and forth. "'As long as there is life, there is hope.'" He said that bit with seeming breeze in a tiny sing-song voice that his mother use to tell it to him in. "It-it wasss someth-ing my-my motherr use to tell mme.. Innn my own l-life.. I've foun-found it to be trruue."
His eyes drifted off and it was obvious he was in thought again. He didn't want to upset her, no that was certainly the last thing he wanted to do. He felt that he might actually be able to call her a friend and that was something he didn't want to screw up, but truth be told, he had to speak his mind. "You'-re a vveeerrryy str-strong mare. You know itt, as much-much as I do-do. How-ever, itt seeemss.. almost asss if-if a part of you has-has for-gotten." He lifted his head to meet her gaze, which of course being the shorter of the two meant he had to prop his eyes. "Liiffe.. is what-what you m-make itt.. and if any-anyone hass that deter-mination.. it's you. I-I'm not ttrying to pass judge-ment or m-make you-you feel bad-bad for it.. I just.. I thin-k, honestly, that-that you w-would have a beaut-iful smile if y-you cared to sh-show it a little more.. You can still be th-those th-ings you dream of." He smiled a little, hoping that she hadn't taken ill to his words.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:24 am
Bastet heaved out a deep sigh and shook her head, not really in the negative, more in weariness. “Maybe you’re right,” she said with a shrug of her wings, “I’d like you to be right, certainly. Thing is that... Well, it’s proper for a mare to protect her foals, but not to be a true warrior and I have to be proper.” Sighing again, Bastet traipsed on towards the patch of scattered bushes, which were now well in view.
“I fought it at first, you know,” she went on after a moment, looking forward rather than at Lyric. “I refused to be Diego’s mate, I ran away to make a life of my own out in the world. In the end, though, I had to come back. I realized that if I didn’t, my youngest cousin would become Diego’s mate instead and even though I knew he wasn’t a bad stallion by that point I couldn’t contemplate letting her take my place.”
The tall mare frowned and shook her head, she still wished she hadn’t realized that little fact. She could be free and living where she wanted right now if she hadn’t. Lyric hadn’t asked to hear it, but she wanted to tell her story, all of it, to somebody. Perhaps she hoped it would help her get her head around the situation and either accept it or rebel, or perhaps she just wanted another person to know about it; she didn’t even know which of these, if either, it was herself.
“So, I did come back, and we were officially made mates. Since then, I’ve been... proper because if I’m not, this herd might not end up looking so well on mine. The people here are very... wordy. They play with them and twist them and they matter a lot. If somebody starts saying that Diego’s mate isn’t quite right then he and his family might go down in their estimation, and my herd and I certainly would.”
Giving another heavy sigh, Bastet came to a halt and turned to look a Lyric once more. “I agree that there’s hope and all but it’s a long shot that I’ll suddenly be able to be all I want to be, or to be able to leave without damaging any reputations that need to stay intact, or losing anyone else their freedom and, well, Diego’s a good guy. I’ve been too hard on him, I was so busy hating my mate for being my mate I didn’t realize that he was actually good to me and I want to make it up to him but I still... I still hate being stuck here and not being able to see a way out, you know?”
Lyric seemed, contrary to her original estimation of him, to be a pretty smart guy. She knew she herself wasn’t exactly a slouch in the brain department but maybe she was too close to her own situation to see an escape route. Maybe, just maybe, the paint stallion would have an idea. or maybe that was just wishful thinking carried on by the part of her heart and head that, no matter what, remained optimistic. She hoped it was the former.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:56 am
Lyric couldn't help but smile. She was a hero and didn't even know it. The life she had wanted, that she was running from, was in a sense, one in the same. Ironic really. She wanted to live her life being virtuous and protecting others, what she didn't realize was that she was already doing that, for her cousin, for her herd and Diego's. Yes, she didn't have the freedom she wanted and hated being proper, but in every good story sacrifices had to be made. Of course, he knew he could never convince her of this and he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to, she needed to hold onto that fire and he didn't want to douse that.
"S-Still..." He began, "..you have-have ddone marvelous things... The very fact that y-you think of o-otherss.. It-it's not some-something to take light-lightly." What to do? He considered. A person like her certainly couldn't be expected to be proper or do what everyone else wanted of her all the time. Her predicament was a curious one. It would do one of two things, cause her to rebel eventually or break her spirit. Two things he'd loathe to see happen to her. She had to find happy medium, though at the same time he wasn't sure if she'd be someone that would be happy with a compromise either. "Have you... t-tried t-t-talking to Di-Diego? Telling h-him wh-what itt isss that you t-truly want? If he is-is as goodd of a guy as y-you say, than-than he'll understand and per-perhaps you could work some-thing outt?" It was really the only suggestion he had at the moment without more consideration. Though when thinking about it, there was still the whole herd to think about, he wasn't sure if Diego could work out something where they wouldn't think ill. However, that was something for them to deal with.
"Aye.. No-nothing comes sud-suddenly. What-ever happens will take time.. May-maybe you c-could consider be-coming more of an ambassador? If-if they'd allow that... it might n-not be as ad-ven-turous as being a g-g-guard, b-but.. it could provide s-some trav-traveling for y-you if yourr truly in-terested." Lyric's own life wasn't one of that much adventure, but he had his freedom. Even that might give her a little more hope though he was certain that wasn't exactly what she wanted. He feared though that if the herd didn't allow her some slack that she'd create even bigger problems for them in the end. He didn't see that as her problem, but theirs. She wasn't wrong as far as he was concerned, but sometimes a society had to remember their individuals as well as their numbers to make the whole thing work.
Shaking his head, he remembered the pack society all too well and how stagnant they could be. It had been years since he had been in one, but sometimes they could be unmovable and he understood her dilemma all too well. He hadn't fit in his herd either which is what led to his own rebellion. He regretted it, he didn't want the same to happen to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:24 am
Bastet gave a lopsided grin as they approached the first of the bushed and shrugged her wings, almost embarrassed. “Well, thanks, I mean I... well I couldn’t just have let somebody I cared about be forced into mating, you know? As it stands now, she’ll most likely get to choose her own mate, and I guess I’m proud I gave her that. Not that she can ever know about it, so far as my herd knows I never intended to stay away, just went off to see a bit of the world before doing my duty and all that.”
Sometimes she was tempted to let them all know, but tongues did tend to wag, and it would be no good for people outside her own family to find out what she’d planned.
At the Bae’s other words, Bastet frowned thoughtfully. “Well, Diego’s not here right now, he’s looking for Sekhmet but I’m planning on going out to find him once you’re on your way anyway... I could bring it up with him, certainly, I know he’ll at least try to find a way if I ask him to, and the ambassador thing might work well once the foals are grown up.”
Smiling at Lyric, Bastet indicated the array of different food options now before them. “Help yourself, and thanks, you’ve given me some good ideas. If I did manage to get myself made an ambassador, when I’m not with this herd or being diplomatic elsewhere, whose to say how I can and can’t act?” It would be a hell of a lot better than being stuck here. She’d get to see the world, to be herself a lot of the time, especially if she chose her own bodyguards. She knew some of her old friends from her own herd would be more than glad to volunteer, not only to help her, but also to get to travel the world, and to get top notch treatment wherever their business took them.
Smiling to herself, Bastet closed her teeth around a beo pod and pulled it free of its bush before crunching the tasty, slightly spicy treat with satisfaction. Maybe her luck was turning; it was worth putting a bit of her carefully stored hope into, certainly. Ambassador Bastet. She could live with that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:40 am
Noticing the smile, he couldn't help but smile himself. Aye, good had been done, that much he could assess. Hopefully it would give her something to look forward to and not focus so harshly on what she had lost. She was one of a kind, that he could be sure of and he was rather glad he met her. He leaned forward and bit into a striped berry, chewing it thoughtfully, "Some-day.." He added once he had swallowed the food, "I'd like to-to meet this Di-Diego.. and Sekhmet.. if I-I sh-should not be the one to f-f-find herr." They both seemed like interesting characters themselves, and he was sure that whoever Bastet surrounded herself with had to be just as fascinating as she.
A hope seemed to be restored in her and because of it Lyric immediately felt better about himself. She had finally smiled afterall, that had been worth the trip altogether. He bit down on another and a few more after that, filling himself until he finally finished. He laid down on the grass and smiled, his head tilting toward the sky. It was beautiful here, and he was sure one could eventually get use to life here, well that was aside from Bastet. "May-maybe.. if it was o-kay with y-you, you woulddn't be ob-object to m-me fashion-ing a character af-after you?" He turned his head to gaze upon her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:00 pm
When the poet had spoken of meeting her mate and daughter, for the time being Bastet had merely nodded and got on with filling her belly. The Bae, she felt, would understand her priorities. Hope, it seemed, made one hungry, that or depression dulled it, and either way it didn’t matter; she had hope, and hunger and the latter needed her full attention for a while at least.
Before too long, however, the sweet fruits and filling beo pods had sated the tall mare and she cast herself down on the grass with first a happy sigh, and then a soft chuckle at the Bae’s request.
“I’d be flattered, Lyric,” she said with a nod, “and I’d very much like to hear what sort of trouble she gets herself into. I think my mate and foals would, too, if you’d like to tell it to them. In fact,” the gold-eyed Jala grinned, “I think all of us would be very glad to hear any stories you happen to have. If they’re half as good as your singing voice, I’ve no doubt you’d be able to command as much of an audience here abouts as you like. As I say, words are big here, and new words are always welcome. A fresh mind with fresh ideas would be welcome any day of the year, I’m sure.”
It was true, even their resident story weavers would be happy to hear a stranger talk, and to be inspired by his different inspirations. So far as Bastet was aware, theactrical types could get inspired by almost anything, but peers and competition worked the very best.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:19 pm
He knew he would certainly like that. Any chance to improve upon his skills was a chance he couldn't give up. Considering, he probably wasn't near as good as the storytellers here but that didn't seem to bother him, new audiences always excited him. Shivering as a cool wind passed, he decided in his mind it would be about two mares, sisters, one like Bastet and one very much like his mother. He was sure with time he could weave a beautiful story from it, one that he hoped Bastet and her family would enjoy.
"W-When Sekhmet is re-returnedd per-haps I'll find m-my way back and have the pl-pleasure of telling it." There were more important things than telling his story, and he would very much like it if Diego and Sekhmet were there to hear it.
Right now though, right now Lyric was getting a little sleepy. It happened often after he had a good meal. He laid his head on the ground and lulled his eyes to close in on him. His tail twitched and he couldn't help but yawn. He told himself he couldn't sleep just yet, but he found that it was rather hard to keep his eyes open..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
