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 Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:23 pm
 Siobhan wandered through the dark trees, thick and close together making it difficult to keep herself clean like she wished. On the outside, she probably looked like a mare on a mission: a never failing pace set, ignoring all obstacles. Maybe it was even possible to see the glint of determination in her eye. The truth was she was just trying to get away: from her home, her family, everything she'd known. It was better than sticking around where everyone seemed to judge her when they thought she couldn't hear.
As her thoughts twisted inside her head, Siobhan had sped up, her agitation coming off her in waves and clouding her head. Her mind was finally jarred when she brushed too close to a tree and her wing banged against it painfully. She stumbled and fell to the group a heap, her lower lip trembling slightly a bit. Siobhan thought to what her family might say if they saw her now, and it quickly stifled any chance of her crying. She sighed and looked off to the side, opening her wing and examining it. Of course, she thought bitterly as she stared at it, nothing even looks wrong with it. It's perfect. She closed it again, quickly getting to her hooves. Soon, she looked around to figure out which way she needed to go to get to... anywhere but here.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:45 pm
 Cobalt flew low, brushing the tips of the trees with his wings on their down stroke. Feeling more vulnerable than ever, he flew quickly, feeling that he should be hiding amongst the trees rather than flying over them. Someone would see him for sure. And if that happened...Cobalt wasn't ready to face fear or aggression again. Not yet. Perhaps later he would be strong enough, but for now he felt defeated, in spirit if not in body. That last encounter, where a stallion flinched at merely his shadow...and attacked at the sight of his cruel wings and sharp fangs. Cobalt would never forget the fear and anger in that stallion's blue eyes. He never wanted to instill such emotions in anyone ever again. So, he would hide himself from the world, lurking in the shadows...
But he had needed to cross the forest. And the fastest way would be to fly over it. That had left him exposed as he crossed, but it was not to be helped. And, who knew, perhaps he wouldn't be spotted.
As it turned out, he wasn't the one discovered. He was minding his own business, staring blankly down at the trees, when he had seen a young Wind rushing through the forest beneath him. As she banged one of her wings on a tree, merely a glancing blow, Cobalt was astonished to see her sink to the ground in a state of distress. Perhaps he ought to help her...but surely one such as her would be afraid of him. Then again...she was in need of assistance. She looked so lost. Just like he felt.
Cobalt hovered above her, unable to make up his mind whether or not to swoop down and make her acquaintance. Maybe, if he waited long enough, she would wander away and he wouldn't have to decide what to do.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:09 pm
Siobhan's ears drooped for a moment, upon realizing she had no clue which way she should go. Her sense of direction was clearly off, these days. She could always attempt to fly above the trees, and then simply head away from her mountains, but of course she'd never flown before. Her father wasn't around enough to teach her, nor was her only sister, and the rest of her family were wingless. She'd always contemplated trying to fly herself, but without instruction she'd likely crash and get covered in dirt, and then where would she be!
She felt a soft breeze come up suddenly, whisking her long hair around a bit and she smiled at it, eyes closed. Upon opening her eyes, she had to squint for a moment, trying to see past all the sunlight and trees. Siobhan's eyes opened up wider, suddenly shocked upon seeing another Soquili hovering above her. "Oh.. I..." Siobhan shook her head, trying to come up with a few words so she wouldn't like a freak who couldn't come up with a coherant sentence.
"Hi there!" she cried up, clinging her wings tighter to herself, like they could somehow hide her away from this stallion. Just please go away... she thought to herself as she took a step back, like she was trying to get a better view rather than hide herself in the shade of a tree.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:14 pm
Cripes! She had seen him. Now there was no choice. Swooping down easily, navigating through the trees with ease, landing gracefully on the forest floor. "Hello..." he said, trying to maneuver his mouth so that she wouldn't see his fangs. "I am Cobalt...what is your name?" She seemed so...timid. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. He waited for the screams, the expression of horror...for he knew it was coming. It had to be coming. The only one female who hadn't screamed at the sight of him was Iofiel, and she was neither here nor there...a wanderer looking for herself, just as he was looking for himself. It was too much to hope that this female would behave as Iofiel did.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:43 pm
Siobhan watched him move through the branches so elegantly, and it didn't even look like he was trying! She was awestruck at first, though she snapped her mouth shut upon his landing--if he saw her face like that... she couldn't imagine. "I uhm.." she began, searching for the words again, though she was a bit confused, unsure what to say. "Is there something wrong with your mouth, Cobalt?" she blurted, unthinking. She hardly noticed, instead simply intimidated by the Soquili before her. "I am Lady Siobhan Francesca Michaela Leigh. I, er.. haven't seen you around here before." She knew that was such a terrible thing to say--it sounded so silly--but she didn't have words to put to any of the other thoughts in her head, so it seemed safer than anything else.
She straightened herself up suddenly, releasing her feathery wings from their clutch upon her back, now simply laying there prettily. Siobhan was afraid she would look like some uncultured urchine if she didn't keep herself perfectly upright.. and a hunch would be so unsightly at her tender age. It seemed as though this stallion carried himself very well, too, though he seemed.. cautious. Suddenly she wondered if she had twigs in her mane, and shook it out a bit hoping to rid herself of debris. She would never forgive herself if she managed to bring a stallion down from the skies only to have him leave as soon as he could because she wasn't looking her best.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:09 pm
Cobalt watched her search for words, her flustered expression causing a slight grin to appear on his face. Until she asked about his mouth. Would he tell her? Would she be frightened? His wings hadn't scared her off...maybe she was laid-back enough to accept that he wasn't evil just because of his physical characteristics.
"Ah, a Lady? We are well met, Lady Siobhan. You wouldn't have seen me around these parts before...I am a mere traveler, wandering the earth for a time." He frowned slightly, still attempting to decide whether or not to tell her about his fangs. "My mouth...no, there is nothing wrong with it...I am just...being overly insecure about my teeth." Perhaps she would leave it at that, and not pry further. Cobalt sure hoped so. He wouldn't want to frighten off this Lady.
Speaking of her, she seemed rather preoccupied with her looks. Fussing over her wings, all soft-looking and feathery, shaking out her mane...Cobalt would never understand the vanity of mares. Why did they spend so much time obsessing over their appearance? It didn't make any sort of sense to him. Although he kept himself well-groomed, he didn't try to fix himself up every time a stick caught in his mane. There was no reason for that, it would just catch another stick two minutes later.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:32 pm
His teeth? Were they not like a normal Soquili's teeth? This quite puzzled Siobhan, leaving her to her own silly thoughts for a few moments, long enough for her to forget that she wasn't comfortable with strangers. She looked back to him a bit confused. "You know, if you have a bit of grass in your teeth I'm sure you can get it out..." Siobhan raised her eyebrows a bit, shrugging it off, deciding not to press the matter.
"Where exactly are you wandering to, Cobalt?" She glanced at the ground for a moment, before looking back up at the dark stallion. "Well.. it's just that I'm sort of wandering myself, and I thought perhaps we could travel together."
It seemed odd to her suddenly that she would ask such a question to a stallion who was a mere stranger, and who didn't seem particularly happy that she was there with him. Though not exactly angry, thankfully... more confused, perhaps a bit of bewilderment. At least he didn't seem to think she was a total twit, yet...
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:51 pm
"I...I wander wherever the road takes me. It isn't as important where I'm headed, just the means by which I get there. The journey itself is it's own reward." Her next words caught him completely off guard. "You want to what???" Surely he had heard her wrong. No one had ever asked to travel with him before. "I assure you, my Lady, I am not suitable company for one such as you. You are kind and beautiful...and I...well...I am not perceived as such."
Cobalt sighed miserably. He would have to tell her. She seemed so innocent, perhaps she wouldn't connect his fangs with evil Kalona. Besides, he couldn't have her thinking that it was because of grass in his teeth. That would be insulting. "Lady Siobhan...I hide my teeth because they are...very different from most other teeth. Look..." He opened his mouth the tiniest bit, his sinister fangs glinting sharply in the soft light. "I hide them because others are afraid of them...Are...are you afraid of them, too?" He waited for her response, like a man awaiting the gallows. He just revealed a vulnerable point, a reason for her to shun him. She could very well crush him in the next few moments...Cobalt hoped with every fiber of his being that she would refrain from doing so.
If she would accept him truly, then maybe he would feel more at ease with accompanying her on her journey.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:26 am
Siobhan cocked her head to the side as he spoke, very confused, her cheeks flushing a bit when he said she was beautiful. She grew a bit concerned as he spoke of himself. She didn't understand it--even when he showed his fangs. She shook her head no in response to his question as she spoke. "Well it's true that they're a bit unconventional, but it doesn't really bother me... did they grow in that way or did you have to sharpen them to get 'em that way?" she asked, a bit of her idiocy peeking through at the end.
She sighed, looking up into her eyes, a quizzical look crossing her face. "Cobalt, I just don't understand. You see the beauty in others, but can't see it in yourself? Even I can admit that I'm not the brightest star in the sky, but I know I have good points too..." She nibbled her lower lip for a moment and looked up at the sky before glancing back to him. "Well I can't think of any right now, but they're there." She smiled for a moment, hoping to convey reassurance. It seemed so odd to her that he would be worried about his teeth, but at the same time understood. Siobhan would just die if her back was all muddy--he was worried about Soquili's reactions to his teeth. Of course, that seemed a little bit different to her--at least he wasn't filthy!
"If you don't want a companion in your travels, it's fine," she told him, smiling reassuringly. She'd be fine--she always was when it seemed no one wanted to be around her. "Just don't go alone if you don't want to. If it's because of your wings, I mean." She looked up at the ones behind his ears--she would kill to have a pair of those. They would be so pretty in a nice gold and white color! she thought happily.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:08 pm
Cobalt's eyes widened. "My Lady...you mean to tell me that you...you don't recognize my teeth as trademarks of a Kalona?" Astounded, and rendered almost speechless with disbelief, Cobalt took a few moments to regain his composure before continuing. "And, no, I don't sharpen them...they grow that way, unfortunately. I've actually been thinking of getting them filed down..."
Cobalt chuckled a bit at her next remark. "That's because what beauty there may be in me is tainted by darkness. As such, this star can never truly shine. However, I do not mean to bore you with my problems. They are mine to bear, as are my teeth and my wings." Cobalt didn't want to burden this lovely Wind with his load of doubts and fears. And, if she was truly comfortable with traveling with him, he would not leave her on her own. It wasn't gentlemanly. Besides, so long as he managed to avoid blood, he would be quite tame...then again, if she was clumsy, she could very well put herself in danger.
"It is not that I do not want a companion...it is that I don't ever want to impose myself on someone that didn't want me there. So, yes, it is partially because of my wings, and partially because, contrary to how I appear right now, I am dangerous under certain conditions. I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Cobalt shuffled his wings, folding them across his back. True, they were not the most beautiful wings in existence, but they served him well, and he didn't mind them as much as he did his fangs. The only reason he minded them at all was that they were also a sign of his Kalona heritage, and thus, a mark that he was different.
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:18 am
Siobhan's mind wandered in and out of the conversation, not able to really hold her attention when he was being so gloomy. Cobalt was very nice, but really, having fangs wasn't really something she would choose to dwell over if nothing could really be done about it. I mean, if he did file them down, might they just grow back? And if not, surely it would be painful! She shuddered slightly, letting her attention come back to her friend as he was finishing.
"Oh, I've never met a Kalona! I know their trademarks, but the truth is, they don't seem all that frightening to me. Why should physical traits define us?" Her mind wandered again for a moment, knowing that in a way this wasn't true--winds were beautiful, and their wings marked them for what they were. I think that must only count for Winds... she thought, mulling over herself decisively. For a moment, she wondered about asking Cobalt about where the nearest lake might be, so she could see for herself once again if it was just her imagination, but thought he'd see her as far too shallow. Maybe she was.
Finally, she shook off her own trivial thoughts to offer again. "You're not dangerous. Besides, I can take care of myself." She grinned, just to hide the laughter that might spew forth should she let it. In the presence of her brother, not only would he contradict that statement knowingly, but he would also point out that every time she passed a stream, she would likely stare into the cool water for minutes just contemplating herself. It was probably true, but he didn't need to point it out all the time. like if he just reminded her of it enough, she would stop. She shook her head and sighed for a moment, eyes shifted towards the skies, wondering whether she should tell him what a ditz she could be. Better not, she decided carefully. Since he doesn't detest me yet, I shouldn't give him a reason to start.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:53 am
Cobalt frowned. "If you had met a full-blooded Kalona, I believe you would feel differently...Kalona are first recognized by their physical traits, and should be avoided at all costs...They are not the most accepting of creatures...and I do not count myself among them, although I fall prey to some of the same desires...which is why I am not always safe to be around." He paused, stretching out his wings to pull out a kink, and then continued, "However, if you truly feel as if you would be alright...I won't tell you to leave." The temptation of having company after living in solitude for so long...no, he didn't have any desire to force her to leave. But he was concerned for her safety. He would have to be extra-careful from now on.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 11:12 am
Siobhan wasn't sure if she should feel any offense in response to his words. Did he doubt her lack of fear as a result of his impression of her, or did something happen to him? She feared the first, for herself, but the second more intensely for him and decided not to press the matter. Better to not upset him if it was on account of his own personal experiences. Her mind drifted for a moment, wondering what a full blooded kalona might look like--she couldn't picture it, really. The only thing she could think of that they might have that it seemed Cobalt was missing were the horns. Her parents told her Kalonas always had horns of some sort. I wonder what else they might have... maybe I'll look for one sometime. she thought, smiling as she pulled her mind back into the conversation just as Cobalt stretched his wings out.
A grin broke out on the young mare's face, the happiness even touching her eyes. "Oh, thank you Cobalt!" Unthinkingly, she threw herself at him, kissing his cheek quickly before prancing away, delighted that she'd finally made a friend of her own. She looked off into the forest, the way she thought he might have been heading before she called him down from the sky--but she couldn't be sure she was faced the right way. Her ears pinned back for a sec, unsure. Wherever they were now, he was heading in the opposite direction from her when they met. That would pass them right by her home... She nibbled her lip, not sure what to do. "Cobalt... just where were you headed before you found me?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 7:55 pm
Too close, entirely too close! Cobalt stiffened as the familiar red haze washed over his eyes. What part of "dangerous" had she not grasped? Lucky for her, she moved away quick enough that Cobalt was able to keep control. With a soft gasp, he relaxed as the haze faded out of his vision. If he was prepared for it, he could handle close contact. But this out-of-the-blue nonsense...that was dangerous. Not to mention that he had just met this mare, and was totally uncomfortable with her kissing him, even though it seemed innocent enough.
"I wasn't headed anywhere. I do a lot of roaming..." He said, answering her question before turning the conversation toward darker matters. "Listen, Lady Siobhan...it's not a very good idea for you to get too close to me without letting me know first. It's not that I don't appreciate the affection, but...I am half-Kalona. No matter what you know about me, you must know that first and foremost of all I am dangerous." Cobalt stalled, wondering how to put this as lightly as possible. "If you had lingered, I may have inadvertently attacked you. So...just promise me that you'll let me know before you step too close to me. I wouldn't want to hurt you, and I'm going to have a hard enough time controlling myself without you putting yourself in harm's way."
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