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 Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:14 am
He'd had enough...For weeks he had been manipulating and instructing children. Foal upon foal had encountered him and slowly but surely he was molding them into his little militia. However, there were times when he just had to retreat and find some sort of company that didn't prod, poke, chew or ask him ridiculous questions. He was never meant to be a father and that might explain why he had left Azumoth, but he was disciplined and determined enough to exact his plans.
They would be his militia when they grew up!
Nevertheless it was with a disgruntled snort that he thrust through the tall grasses of the meadows and away from his little training ground with his chosen students. Seemingly colourless eyes scanned the horizon before being lost beneath the long strands of black hair. It was a sad day when the stallion was forced to hunt company out - he was accustomed to summoning it but in retropsect he supposed he had yet to completely dominate the Kawani lands and inform every creature of their duty.
Thus he persisted in his attempts to find more company that he could deem reasonably suitable, while cursing the sun's unrelenting glare upon his black coat. Really, he did not mind the sun on occasions but must it be so moody? It was worse than his own father (and that was saying something). Alas, whether or not his search would prove successful this afternoon remained to be seen. From his observations the majority of soquili that lurked on the lowlands were really very pitiful. They had appalling taste, little manners and absolutely no strength - they were worthless. It should have been of no surprise that they would soon be his first targets...
Eventually the stallion did pause at the lake and cast a glance down towards his own reflection. He wasn't desperate enough to converse with himself but he did arch a brow at the state of his hair - why had he permitted those colts to chew at it again? Were children born with the inherent ability to utterly confuse an adult?
Probably.
"You...need to wash your hair," He pointed out to himself coolly as he continued to inspect his reflection.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:55 am
She frowned for just a moment before she continued and sighed, longingly. If only her life had always been so... perfect. Careful not to think about her past, the mare pranced alongside a pretty little butterfly and smiled. Her brown eyes were sparkling now, she was happy and not afraid to show it.
Off in the distance, Vieno noticed something... it was dark and almost intimidating, different than anything she'd ever seen before. Not that it bothered Vieno that the Soquili looked a little different, no sir, she was just happy to have someone to enjoy the beautiful day with! Smiling as she watched him from afar, she tried to think of how she'd introduce herself. Knowing it was most certainly rude to prance up and spit out her name, and interesting facts about herself... the mare was stumped. Was there a way she could start a conversation without forcing herself upon it? She giggled before shaking her head, mane becoming even more a mess as she did so. It had been decided, she was going to get closer and make a plan on the way!
Well, planning to plan didn't work exactly as planned. As the mare approached what she'd soon found was a stallion, she noticed he was staring at his reflection. Before she could even think of what to do next, the stallion commented on something's hair... was he talking to himself or had he already noticed her? Not wanting to take the selfish option, Vieno took a look at the stallion's hair. Long, silky, beautiful, it certainly didn't need cleaning! So, of course she gave her opinion, "I think your hair is beautiful," she smiled and then frowned for a moment, "Then again... you didn't ask me."
Lately she'd met her fair share of Soquili who continuously disagreed with her, in result, the mare was a little insecure now. She carefully watched what she said and often corrected herself, but she wouldn't let even the meanest of Soquili get her down!
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:19 am
Kiyoshi was silent for only a few seconds as the mare intruded on his solitude, at first he had assumed it was another of his 'children' but as he reflected on the tone of voice he came to the conclusion it wasn't. Alas, the tone was simply too mature and a little deeper than a child's to belong to one and as such he permitted himself to glance round. Had it been a child he would have feigned ignorance and drifted away but he had been in search of further company.
"You are correct, I did not ask you," he stated coolly, slowly but surely shifting his weight round so that he could assess his company more effectively. What his eyes caught sight of was not something he had anticipated though and for yet another few seconds he was forced to be silent. A soft voice, a gentle voice...and it was matched by the creature that now stood before him. Now wasn't she a delicate little treasure? Already his mind made a solemn demand - he wanted it.
Now.
"But I congratulate you in responding in the way you did," he arched a brow as he continued to examine the mare. Admiring her petite form, her messy yet tasteful mane and the soft expression on her face. Ah yes, a treasure indeed and a most appealing one. Oddly, it had been the only 'normal' mare he had deemed worthy of attention...on many occasions he saw them as boring, plain and useless. Apparently some form of decent breeding and selective mating had ensured this one stood apart from the rest. He congratulated her parents, silently.
"Feigning ignorance towards the tips of my hair and the -" he paused to examine the locks that stuck together, sealed in foal saliva. He would have pulled a face of utter disgust had he not had other plans. If he was correct in his assumptions then one mare such as this would not appreciate such behaviour...and as his methods went, you needed to make them 'approve' first. Thus, he did little more than roll his eyes as though he found the entire predicament comical.
"Baby drool on it is most impressive," he concluded before shaking his head slowly. Making a note to withdrew the ethereal tendrils back to his sides, he canted his head to one side and raised a brow. "And you are who, exactly?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:20 pm
She watched him for a moment, smiling as he replied and then went back to gazing upon him with child-like curiousity. She'd never seen a Soquili quite like this one before and the whole idea was still a great surprise to her. Hearing of these things was one thing but seeing it in the flesh was entirely different. Not that it really mattered, Vieno had learned to respect everyone, even if their outward appearance was different. So, finally bringing her gaze away from the stallion she looked down at the water close to them. So plain she was compared to everyone she'd met, they'd all had something special but not her. Deciding it wasn't right to dwell on outer appearances, she raised her head and listened to the mutant.
She had to giggle when he began commenting on his hair, for in all seriousness she didn't think it was truly that bad. The fact that her hair was always a mess might have contributed to that fact, but she didn't think about it for long. Instead, she replied softly, "Now, now, it's not all that bad," she offered him a smile as she stepped closer to inspect. Her ears pricked forward as she gazed at him, hoping he didn't have personal space issues, but her soft brown eyes moved to his long locks of hair. She made sure to give him a good three feet of space between them, considering she didn't know him well and wanted to be polite.
Mentioning babies made the mare perk up, her gaze quickly moved to his face and she grinned. "You have kids then?" she quietly asked. Vieno loved to observe families from afar, there was nothing quite like little foals prancing around their parents while they looked down with so much love and affection. Watching him roll his eyes at the drool made her laugh, "Would you like some help with it then?" she offered, always ready to lend a helping hoof.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I get carried away talking to strangers..." she announced sheepishly, "My name's Vieno, and I'm very pleased to meet you... uhm..." She trailed off and grinned, apparantly she didn't know this stranger's name either. They were in the same boat so she didn't feel quite so bad about it anymore. Even if he had asked first...
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:23 am
Kiyoshi was most certainly one of the rarer soquili currently residing in the Kawani Lands. Admittedly he did not hail from the land, nor was he 'summoned' in any form but he was here. Alas, he would have to say it was a very good thing that he was here given the horrendous condition that the lands were in. In the eyes of the rather montrous stallion, the Kawani region had all but fallen into disarray and chaos. It held far more abominations than beauties and that would simply have to change...one without blessed Vieno's nature couldn't look beyond such things.
While she quite obviously saw qualities within another and looked beyond the skin, the same could not be said for him. Fascinated by the surface beauty of certain creatures, females and objects (really they were all the same to him), it was this that he deemed most valuable. Therefore if a mare lacked wings, a horn or any other particularly mark of interest then she would very much find herself in the same category as males - she was of no use. Those who were of no use were disposed of, violently if necessary.
...It was just as well this particular mare held such a unique beauty.
Nevertheless while he was granted the opportunity to admire her physique unnoticed he was not permitted to delve into dark thoughts just yet. The mare had once again began to speak and he could do nothing more than swivel his ears. He could be a stallion of manners and etiquette when necessary and charming a treasure was when such things were an absolute must. It was just as well his glowing eyes prevented another from watching his gaze but the least he could do was ensure that his body language was appropriate! Alas, he wasn't actually listening to her words as she spoke and continued to muse over how soothing her voice seemed to be... That could have been due to her attempts of reassurance but he hadn't quite gathered that given he hadn't been listening.
It was only as the mare came closer to him that his eyes shot to her face and he tuned in to the ending portion of the conversation. Was there something desirable to a mare about a male having children? Admittedly he had a failure of a son but recently he had remained rather well behaved. He hadn't sired any other children, he had been the epitome of self restraint and yet she seemed intrigued.
"Not quite..." He began smoothly, choosing not to mention said son. "One might say I have taken a number of children under my wing but I underestimated their uh...playfulness?" That was the understatement of the year, he was beginning to utterly loathe the concept of more children and was now aware of why his instincts had ordered him to leave the first time.
Annoying. Little. Bats.
"I am known as Kiyoshi though, we will see in time if you are as pleasant as you look - hm?" he smiled almost teasingly, though the slight flash of his eyes seemed somewhat out of place.
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:22 am
The mare wasn't sure she ever wanted children, no not at this point in time anyways. She knew what the product of bad parenting often led to and Vieno wasn't sure she'd ever make a good parent. Her mother had been such a wonderful parent but... it takes two parents to make a family. Either way, the mare loved children even if they weren't her own.
Noticing the stallion staring at her made Vieno feel embarrassed, she'd never had anyone stare so intently at her without knowing why. His eyes also bothered her, glowing, bright, impossible to read... yet beautiful in their own unique way. So, by now the mare felt warm inside, she could have sworn she'd turned red in color due to embarrassment. Not being able to tell what exactly the stallion was staring at bothered her and made her a little self conscious, was something wrong with her? Trying not to let her embarrassment show, she cleared her voice and tried to think of how to speak up.
"Children," she started, finally looking away at the ground, ears flickering forward as she spoke. "Kids will be kids, most of them are very playful and loveable," she added softly, with a bit of tenderness in her voice. Perhaps she didn't realize it but a loving family was one of the things she desired most. Her childhood had a lack of tenderness and love, so perhaps in her adult years she craved such a thing. Suddenly her mind was back on the conversation at hand and the mare blinked, "Oh dear, were they orphan children?" She was curious now, how wonderful of the stallion to take in children and care for them even if they did make a mess of his hair. Thinking that made her giggle silently and quickly apologize, lucky for her he didn't know just what she was giggling about.
Hearing his name made her smile, her bright personality showing once again with sparkling brown eyes. Meeting new friends seemed to be her favourite pastime lately and she was always happy to make new ones. "Kiyoshi is a lovely name," she replied and then pondered what he'd said next. Pleasant... looking...? Did he mean she seemed pleasant at first glance or...? Vieno was confused by what he'd said but she didn't want to mention it. Perhaps some things were best just left alone.
The only problem is... if you never ask... you'll never know...
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:29 am
He had his ways and he had his games. A master of manipulation he thrived in situations that required subtle movements. Applying pressure to a weak spot, just enough to feed on an insecurity was enough artillery for him to press on. When it came to children he often fed on their naivity, when it came to stallions he often fed on their insecurities about their size. However, when it came to mares he had to be decidedly more tactful...the strategies and skills used during the pursuit of such treasures had to be more than just devious - it had to be born from pure genius. Years in the spotlight and in the pursuit of rare treasures had honed these skills and thus, he prided himself on complete and utter domination of his targets.
Admittedly it didn't always work due to the meddling behaviour of certain creatures but more often than not it was successful. There were times when his 'gentle' nudging was not enough though and while he disliked it, violence was generally the option that followed soon after. Wounds healed but on occasions scars did not - he had no qualms in destroying any male that got in his way but... Well, it would be safe to say that the mares began to lose their appeal much more quickly when they were scarred. He didn't mind if a mare cowered, on the contrary he loved it but there was something disappointing about an unhealed gash to some limb or another.
He was fussy.
Sue him.
Nevertheless there were certain stages he worked towards in such pursuits. There was the usual 'trust' phase followed by a number of others depending on the response he received. If he had his way every female would become immediately submissive to him but unfortunately there were those who just... Deserved to be mauled repeatedly under the most torturous of conditions. He always got his way through some means or another though he didn't necessarily approve of the outcome.
It should therefore have been of no surprise that he was somewhat satisfied by what appeared to be an act of surrender. As the mare cast her eyes down upon the ground he could only assume that he had caused suitable discomfort, but not enough to scare her away. He could only hope (for the time being) that the submission he did see was the 'good' kind i.e. she would do exactly as she was told simply based on the enigmatic stallion and his 'imposing' form. Really, he would have been less than delighted to dispose of this pretty creature.
That being said it wasn't long before she spoke and in doing so he detected a tone he hadn't heard in years. All those years of seclusion and dominance had left little room for any form of compassion. Soft voices turned hoarse in his company, became mere whispers and thus he savoured the rare and exotic quality of her own. It was another quirk she possessed that went in her favour, it was enough to keep his attention...if she would speak like that constantly.
"You have not met many foals, have you?" he enquired coolly, his own tone clearly incapable of mimicking the mare's. "They are hardly playful so much as brash and reckless," he pointed out, raising a brow to the point that the hair shifted away from his eyes. "That being said very few of those I raise are orphans, I simply consider it my duty to..."
What did he do with them?
"Educate them in the art of etiquette and defence," he added at last, noting that it at least sounded decent in the given circumstances. Though as he considered his words he deemed it necessary to apply a 'jest' to lighten the mood and to make himself more presentable - tiny steps towards success after all. "However the etiquette is lacking if they insist on chewing my hair..."
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 1:51 pm
On all her adventures the mare had met many unique individuals, all of them were different in their own way and all of them had something wonderful to offer to the world. It would seem this stallion was one of the rarer individuals, caring for little foals that weren't even his own. A blessing is what Vieno would have described it is for in her experience most stallions didn't even want their own children to look after. Well now, that wasn't exactly true, there were many families that were happy and content just the four of them. She smiled as she recalled a day she observed two fillies fighting over who got to take a drink from the river first. It all ended well with their mother making a game out of the whole thing, the mother had then turned to wink at her and she just smiled. Ah yes, families were wonderful things.
Her family hadn't been quite the same, although she'd loved her mother dearly, more than even her closest friends. Dull brown eyes peered up at the sky as she thought about her days as a young foal and how sweet her life had been. Drifting off to old memories wasn't exactly polite when you were engaged in conversation, so Vieno quickly snapped out of it and smiled at Kiyoshi.
She'd heard what he'd asked in the back of her mind but she had to pause for a moment to remember what exactly it was. Afterwards she sighed softly and shook her head, "I've never met foals personally but... I've watched families from afar." She giggled a bit and shook her head, her messy mane falling in strands over her neck and face. "A bit silly isn't it, me spying on families," she grinned, knowing she must have sounded pretty dumb. A longing sigh escaped her as she pondered families more and thought about the little foals he cared for. "Must be a tough job, caring for little ones, they sure do seem to have a lot of energy," she smiled, knowing she'd once been like that too. "They must be fun to play with, but... that's probably because I'm still a bit of a child at heart myself," she giggled nervously, knowing most thought that to be immature and unbecoming.
As he mentioned their hair nibbling she grew more serious, her gentle eyes locking on his locks of hair stuck together from baby slime. "I'm sure you're doing a fine job of teaching them, it takes awhile to learn though... I'm sure they'll catch on in time. Most children are fairly intelligent, I mean they sure have to learn a lot in a short time," her voice softened, "I know I was probably pretty lost when I came out of my basket... the world's such a big place." She frowned a bit now, thinking of the orphans he'd adopted. "Poor souls though, they'd probably be lost if you weren't there to guide them. Very noble of you to take in those foals, I'm sure they'll appreciate it when they're older."
With that, Vieno decided this stallion was a gift from the heavens. Saving little ones from certain tragedy they'd most likely find on their own. In her mind his kindness was unrivalled and she respected him for it.
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 2:13 pm
Ignorance was bliss. Naivity was a constant vulnerability. Eternal optimism made one blind. Such was the fate of all his victims and he chose them specifically for this reason alone. While they could not see the weaknesses and qualities he chose to exploit, his treasures always started out the same way. They had their dreams and embraced them, pursued them with all their strengths and he encouraged them...until a point. It was his sole purpose in life to become a permanent feature, to exist and be in their thoughts. This progressed deeper if he was successful and they began to crave his aid and assistance... Once they were hooked that way, they were completely and utterly his to toy with.
Alas, the Kawani lands were filled with meddling fools and this particular stallion could not afford to be as certain as he usually was. If it wasn't a meddling lion it was some vigilante male that needed to be dealt with. There was never a guarantee that he would succeed in this devilish place, his wretched failure of a son had proved as much. Nevertheless her kind words indicated that she had yet to see through his facade and as a result he was more than happy to accomodate and to play up to the role she had quite obviously presented him with.
He sounded like a saint.
Hm, this posed many problems given that playing the role of a complete saint came off as completely false. However, playing the role of someone with great modesty (something he did not possess on any genuine level) would prove to be all the more beneficial. Her assumptions that he rescued and raised foals to be pure was laughable but was much more useful than the truth - those foals she spoke of became his weapons...nothing more.
They were expendable.
There would be no tears and no recognition for their great and 'noble' sacrifices. It was a sorry state of affairs and one that any moral creature would be horrified by. To Kiyoshi it was simply their fate, their duty and ultimately their reason for being presented to him by the spirits. Those he sought out were truly blessed to view him as their superior and really, there were few who could instruct them in the ways of such vicious combat techniques.
"M'lady you make me sound like a saint," he spoke at last, his brow remaining raised as he adjusted his weight from one hoof to another. The peculiar tendrils coiled leisurely around his legs with each subtle movement, while the sun's insistant glare seemed to be drying out the rather unfortunate 'residue' in his mane. "I assure you I perform the same duty that any other individual would," he pointed out calmly, feigning ignorance to the overwhelming lack of honorable stallions within the area. "If they are vulnerable I will find them and return them to safety, regardless of the headache they give me."
After all, a child given a home and a father figure rarely strayed and did exactly what they were told.
His perfect...little soldiers.
"Perhaps you will be blessed enough to meet them one day," he murmured vaguely.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:31 am
Denying that he did good deeds was horribly troublesome, why couldn't others accept that they were kind and had good hearts? Vieno didn't know but she also didn't mind so much, it was considered rude if one was arrogant. Still, in her mind, anyone that could rescue foals and treat them as their own was beautiful in her mind. So much kindness in the world, it was quite a wonderful feat, Vieno couldn't even express her feelings for the villiage she'd come to call her own.
Snapping back to the present, she finally replied to the stallion, "I'm not so sure... there's some cruel beings out there that would leave things to rot... or worse, use them for their own advantage!" The mare sighed and shook her head, "You're not like that, and it's wonderful to see such a pure soul." She smiled at him, not knowing what she was saying, and sighed softly as she moved over to the side of the lake. She watched it for a moment, seeming further away than she really was, lost in her own world. After a long pause, she finally looked up, looking torn and as if she'd recalled a memory that was very unpleasant.
Trying to get back into the normal conversation she smiled, although her feelings weren't behind it. Her eyes showed that she was still thinking of something, like she couldn't forget it. "I'd love to meet the foals sometime," Vieno replied softly, "I'm sure they're very sweet and loveable, even if they do have an acquired taste for hair." She giggled, back to her regular self once again. All mares had mood swings, so Vieno was no exception to this rule!
(( Sorry, brain fart so it's short. DX ))
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 1:49 am
There was a certain amount of irony to her words. Even Kiyoshi struggled to maintain his otherwise pleasant expression. Her observations were so terribly wrong that any onlooker would be screaming in horror. Granted, it would have to be one of his current prisoners or previous victims to be a success but still...He could do nothing more than clear his throat as she continued to speak. A subtle movement that provided him with a few seconds to recover and regroup. He was once again in control after this little readjustment and was soon nodding slowly to her words.
"Unfortunately the world is cruel," he wasn't going to paint a pretty picture. He was a practical soquili, a logical soquili and while he could paint himself as 'nice', he wasn't going to be dense. He was aware that he could balance such a presentable personality with cold logic. As a result he was not adverse to making extreme observations - some might flinch at them, but he was of the opinion that it was better to see the world for what it really was. Unfortunately it directed attention to his facade but in playing this card so openly, he could keep others close to his chest.
Or at least that's how it worked in theory.
"It seems there are many in these lands that would jump at the chance to gain such a thing," he was of course referring to his foals. He had already 'leapt' at such an opportunity and worked tirelessly to improve them. He considered them to be an irritating addition to his life but his sacrifices would pay off in the end (or so he kept telling himself). "Foals are like a blank canvas, if you find them at a young enough age you have the potential to destroy them."
His expression became grim as he made this observation and for a while he looked away. It was almost as though he was trying to 'regain his composure' again. The 'sad' tale of the children enough to make the strong male cry. Regardless, it was all a farce and he soon returned his gaze to the mare and offered a wry smile.
"Hence why I consider it my duty to find them and return them to safety - it is not so much an issue of my 'pure soul', but my duty."
Ooooh, that sounded so good!
"Though you do flatter me with your compliments," he added with a slight nod of his head. It would have been considered a 'flourish' if it had been more extravagant but he had 'tamed' himself. He could only get away with so much when he was pretending to be something he wasn't. "That being said, I will be sure to send the foals your way...if you are offering to be a substitute for my hair?"
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